The Team That's Built On Lies
by Ri40
Summary: Rigid Bella gets her dream job as P&Q Officer, selected for a 2 year project in the Caribbean. Enters a shy, stuttering, green-eyed, handsome Edward, with a dangerous past and you have a project disaster. Lemons. Full Summary inside.
1. Prologue

Hi all, The Team was removed and is presently being beta'd. For those that read it already I am sorry for the updates you would receive.

Disclaimer for the entire story: I do not own twilight, S. Meyer does.

Penname: RI40

Story Title: The Team That's Built on Lies.

Rating *NC-17

Characters: Edward*Bella

Genre: Mystery/Drama

**Summary:** Rigid Bella gets her dream job as Planning and Quality Officer, selected for a two year project in the Caribbean. Enter a shy, stuttering, green-eyed, handsome Edward, with a dangerous past and you have a project disaster. Will Edward make Bella forget all her rules when it comes to work and play? Or, will one of them end up dead before they get a chance to explore the possibilities of a relationship.

June

**EPOV**

I needed to do this sooner or later. Preferably sooner. So, I decided that I needed to tell Bella the truth. I just hoped that I wasn't too late.

_I've gone over this for the last hour and a half, why can't I just do it?_ I mentally scolded myself as I paced in front of the living room window. I needed to tell Bella today.

"Edward, why are you trying to bore a hole into the floor?" Bella asked. I immediately froze in place at the sudden sound of her voice behind me. I stood like a statue for a long moment before I slowly turned myself towards her voice. _It's now or never_.

"Bella, I need to talk to you," I said slowly as I made my way towards her, taking in the wary expression on her face. I took her hand to ease her worry and led her to the chair to sit next to me. Thinking about it now, I wonder if I actually took her hand to ease my own worries rather than hers.

Letting out an unsteady breath, I launched into my story.

"Bella, please know that I love you and even after I tell you this, please, never doubt my love for you," I pleaded.

"Okay," she replied, the worried look never leaving her face.

There was a poignant pause between us as she cocked her head to the side, signalling that I could start at anytime.

"I-I d-don't know where to start," I stuttered.

"What's wrong, Edward? It would be best if you start from the beginning," she suggested, running her hand through my hair to ease my nerves.

_Now or never_, I repeated in my head again.

"My last name is not Whitson," I said.

"What?" The look on her face wasn't quite that of confusion, it was questioning—wondering if this was a joke or a game, or if I was just plain crazy. "If your last name isn't Whitson, then what..." she asked, her brow furrowed.

"Bella, my last name is Masen," I stated calmly, yet quickly, before she could finish her sentence.

She repeated my last name to herself over and over, trying to figure out why the name was so familiar. When realization dawned on her, she turned to me with a look of complete anger, shock and disbelief.

"No, it can't be," she whispered, shaking her head. "It can't be," she repeated as if trying to convince herself, or possibly to convince me.

"Yes."

"Masen," she said again, "Masen?"

"Yes."

"You're lying."

"No, baby, I am not lying. My last name is Masen. I assumed the name Whitson from a family I knew years ago."

Bella still was not convinced. "So, are you trying to tell me that your last name is really Masen?" Bella asked.

"Yes, it is," I replied. Her face was unresponsive. I stared into her deep, chocolate brown eyes, while a million uncertainties clouded my mind.

_Will she still want me after she knows my family history? Will she still want to work with me? Most importantly, will she still love me and want me in the life of my—no—_our_ soon-to-be child?_

"I…I can't believe what you're saying…I mean, are you crazy or something? Is this a joke? Are you…high or something?" she questioned, squinting her eyes at me. I could see the confusion written all over her face. She thought she knew me. We had shared the most intimate thing two people could share, the creation of new life, and now she had found out I was not who I said I was.

The most basic thing you can know about someone is their name, and I had lied about that. I sat there, still holding her hand, and watched as she realized our entire relationship was based on a falsehood.

"No, Bella, I am not crazy, I'm not on drugs, and I'm not joking. My last name is really Masen. I am the last of the Masens," I said my name, for what felt like the hundredth time.

She turned her back towards me, mumbling something that sounded like, "…_must have been on drugs"_ and "_now saying this_." I could swear I even heard her call me a _fucking idiot _and _a lying imbecile._ She muttered something about _no trust_ as she yanked her hand from mine, and stood heading for the door.

She was right; I was a fucking idiot. At least, I would be if I allowed her to walk out that door without an explanation of why I changed my last name, why I kept it a secret, even from her—my partner, my best friend, and the mother of my future child.

As I thought over all the roles Bella played in my life tears began to form in my eyes. In the time that I had known her she'd become such a constant in my life. She was a part of me now, and I wasn't sure I would be able to function without her. I wasn't sure I _wanted_ to function without her. Now that I had known a life with her in it, I couldn't bear to live any other way.

"Bella," I shouted as the tears streamed freely down my face. She stopped at my sudden outburst and turned to face me. I relayed a silent prayer of thanks when her eyes met mine because she was, at least, going to give me the chance to explain. I didn't know what would happen after that, but at least she would know the truth.

"Please, just let me explain, and then you can leave if you still want to," I pleaded.

"Start," her voice was hard and sharp with no sense of emotion.

* * *

Hey all, this is the first story I've written. It's completed and is by my fantastic betas PTB, thefallingdarkness and DeepCrimson91, with assistance from Shasta.


	2. Chapter 1

Story Title: The Team that's built on lies.

Rating *NC-17

Characters: Edward*Bella

Genre: Mystery/Drama

**Summary:** Rigid Bella gets her dream job as Planning and Quality Officer, selected for a two year project in the Caribbean. Enter a shy, stuttering, green-eyed, handsome Edward, with a dangerous past and you have a project disaster. Will Edward make Bella forget all her rules when it comes to work and play? Or, will one of them end up dead before they get a chance to explore the possibilities of a relationship.

Bella POV

I could not help the broad grin that graced my face as I walked through the glass doors of Masen's Project Solutions' headquarters in Forks, Washington. My hard work had intersected good fortune. I…Isabella Swan-though I prefer to be called Bella…at 24 years of age, was about to begin my dream job.

What was my dream job? It was to be the Planning and Quality Officer for Masen's Project Solutions. To the average person, it might not sound like the most exciting career, but for me, it was the be all and end all.

As I approached the receptionist, she looked up to me and smiling a warm, joyful smile asked, "Good morning, how may I be of assistance to you, madam?"

_If their receptionist is so welcoming, I wonder if the management will be just as nice._

"Good morning, my name is Isabella Swan, and I am here to attend a meeting with Carlisle and Esme Cullen," I replied.

"Oh yes, Ms. Swan, please go straight through the black doors on your left and you will see the doors marked 'Auditorium' have a seat right in there."

"Thank you," I responded sweetly.

"Of course," please enjoy the rest of your day." I turned to leave, but heard the receptionist's voice again, "Oh, and Ms. Swan…"

"Yes?" I asked.

"Welcome to Masen's Project Solutions."

Grinning from ear to ear, I answered, "Thank you very much."

Upon entering the Auditorium, I took a seat at the back of the room. As I looked around, I noticed that each wall was a different colour. One was green, the other blue, followed by yellow and the last one was orange, which to me, seemed to be very bright colors for a company. _I guess that is the "in thing" now as my neighbour Nessie would say. _

_I am just not up-to-date with the latest __style. _I studied all the time and worked hard, so I didn't get a chance to pick up fashion magazines very often; to me, it was a small sacrifice.

Surveying the room again, I realised that about 30 people were currently seated.

_This is a lot of pe__ople for one project. _I was brought out of my train of thought by a soprano voice to my right.

"Hi, my name is Alice Cullen, my speciality is design, nice to meet you." said a pixie-like lady with black hair pointing in every direction.

_Did she just say 'nice to meet you' before I introduced myself?_

"Hi, to you too," I said, still quietly appraising the sprite before me. "My name is Isabella Swan, but you can call me Bella and mine is planning and quality." _Is that a new style? Geez, I need to purchase some of the latest magazines, yeah, Bella...post 2001_

"So, are you…" She began, but her sentence was cut short by a man and a woman trying to get our attention at the front.

"Good morning everyone, my name is Carlisle Cullen and this is my wife, Esme." The blond-haired gentlemen greeted us with a warm smile.

Mr. Cullen looked so young; he was tall with blond hair and grey eyes. I was expecting the Manager to at least have twenty years experience, putting him at about sixty.

Mrs. Cullen was a beautiful brunette with honey gold eyes and a warm smile.

"Welcome to Masen's Project Solutions. We at MPS are very excited to have young fresh blood on within our company as we are eager to share our knowledge and learn from you as well. Now I'll hand you over to Esme for her to fill you in on Masen's history."

"Good morning, MPS was started by my older sister Elizabeth Masen and brother-in-law Edward Masen senior in 1956. If you did your research on the history of MPS, you will know that my sister and brother-in-law are no longer here. MPS was handed over to my husband and me in 1992. Masen's is a Project Management company, which puts forth proposals to companies in the hope to be awarded contracts to complete construction and architectural projects all over the world. MPS ensures that the project is finished on time, within budget, and most importantly, to client satisfaction. At present, MPS is estimated to be worth 150 billion dollars. The head office is in Forks, with other offices in Paris, England and Spain. "

I, myself, knew a few things about Masen's Project Solutions. I had researched the company; from their humble beginnings in the mid-fifties to their controversy in the early nineties. I had seen how Mr. and Mrs. Cullen managed to overcome the terrible circumstances and continue the company's unparalleled success. I knew the MPS mission statement forward and backward; I was ready for my assignment.

"Any questions so far?" Esme asked the group as she searched through the board room with her eyes.

"Good," Mrs. Cullen said when she recognized that no one had any questions. The energy in the room was palpable. I guessed I wasn't the only person anxious to find out the details of our assignment.

Continuing she said, "Now, MPS has been awarded a contract to build an Academy of the Arts Centre in the Caribbean and twenty team members, including myself and Carlisle, will be flown to the Caribbean Island in the next two days." As soon as the sentence left her mouth, hands started to go up like crazy around the Auditorium, along with loud murmurs. Instead of taking any questions Mr. Cullen interrupted, reminding us to allow Mrs. Cullen to finish before any questions would be answered.

"The Caribbean Island is a twin island state called Trinidad and Tobago and the project will be completed in Trinidad. Eighteen of you have already been chosen to work on this project and the remaining twelve will be working on small projects within Seattle and New York. Those, whom I call, please follow Carlisle and myself, while the rest of you will follow Felix, the gentlemen in black on my left. Felix is the office security." She gestured toward the door where a nondescript man in a suit stood waiting for the rejected twelve employees.

I held my breath as Mrs. Cullen called out the names, hoping mine would be among them.

"The eighteen employees who will be running the project in Trinidad are as follows:

Lauren Mallory, Scheduling

Rosalie Hale, Estimator and Machinery

Jasper Hale, Architect

Emmett Cullen, Engineer

Alice Cullen, Design

Tanya Denali, Design

Jessica Stanley, Estimator

Jacob Black, Machinery

Leah Clearwater, Scheduling

Mike Newton, Communications

Ben Cheney, Testing

Eric Yorkie, Communications

Isabella Swan, Planning and Quality

Angela Webber, Quality

Tyler Crowley, Quality

Seth Clearwater, Construction

Sam Uley, Construction, and finally,

Edward Whitson; Planning, Engineering, and Architecture."

I bit back a wide grin as my name was called. Not only was I working for the top solutions company in the United States, but I was now part of an elite team, being sent on an all-expenses-paid trip to one of the most beautiful places in the entire world.

As soon as the last person's name was announced, the group followed the Cullens out of the building and across the road to a restaurant called 'Masen's Dining.' I wondered to myself if this diner had also been established by Mr. and Mrs. Masen, and was now under the direction of the Cullens. How many businesses did this family own?

We were led by the receptionist to a private room, where the walls were an unusual emerald green colour. When everyone was seated, Mr. Cullen asked us to go around the table introducing ourselves.

A blonde girl, with huge boobs in a tight bright purple skirt suit that was two sizes too small, immediately started to speak in a nasally voice, which was so irritating it could upset a deaf man.

"My name is Lauren Mallory, I am 24 years old and from Forks, Washington, I would just like to say that it was so sad—what happened to the Masens…" But before she could finish her sentence Mr. Cullen interrupted her, reminding her that she was to speak about herself.

So again we had to endure her annoying voice. "Well, I attended Washington University where I completed my B.S. in Scheduling…" All I heard after that was "blah, blah, blah, self-important postulating, blah, blah, blah…"

C_an someone please hit her over her head! Can I? Soon?_

This continued for the next hour; person after person expounding on their pretentious achievements. I did manage to learn a little about each team member; a necessity, as we'd all be working very closely together over the coming months.

My turn quickly came and I introduced myself only letting them know the basic about me. My age, place of study and what I studied.

I learned that Alice and Emmett were Carlisle and Esme's children. Alice studied Design in Paris and was 24 years old, while Emmett was 26 and studied Engineering in England. Jasper and Rosalie Hale were 24 year old twins who also studied in England along side Emmett. _Must be nice_, I thought, _to be so rich you can study anywhere in the world_.

All of the other team members were around the same age, between 24 and 27, and I realized at that moment there could be a lot of…pleasure on this business trip. _Real World: Trinidad,_ I thought dryly. Put this many young, attractive, single people together and it won't take long before they start pairing up.

Not me!

I decided then and there.

This was the greatest career opportunity that would ever come my way, and I wasn't going to throw it away on a quick romance.

I mentally upchucked when a gorgeous strawberry-blonde, Tanya Denali, introduced herself. Her eyes never left Mr. Cullen as she spoke, exaggerating the movement of her lips, in a very successful attempt to look seductive. The mouths of various other male team members hung slack as they stared at the temptress. It was very clear how a woman like Tanya made her way up the company ladder. Mr. Cullen, however, seemed particularly uninterested in her, as he often glanced at his wife and smiled when her eyes met his.

Tanya had studied in Alaska and her credentials would have been impressive, if I hadn't already gotten the impression that she'd earned them by bedding her professors. I wasn't usually so quick to judge others, but I resented women like Tanya who made this business so hard for women like me. I just wanted to work hard and deserve my place in the industry. The Tanya Denali's of the world gave every professor, project supervisor, and CEO the idea that a woman in this business was ready and willing to sleep their way to the top.

Mentally packing my suitcases, I paid little attention as the rest of the team members introduced themselves. I was running through a checklist in my mind.

_Swimsuit, check. _

_Toothbrush, check. _

_Phone charger, check._

And right in the middle of my packing list, a velvet voice floated into my universe. It was a male voice, like thunder and cream, which commanded my attention. The very sound of it was at war with the words it spoke. He had an almost unnatural stutter, making a drawn out "am" sound frequently, yet the speech impediment did not serve to diminish the beauty of his voice.

At the sound of it, my head involuntarily snapped towards the direction it came from. I had to know what kind of heavenly creature could produce such a sound. When my eyes found him, I was not disappointed. He was a handsome with a sly look behind his emerald green colour eyes that matched the walls around us. His two gorgeous emerald stones were hidden behind huge Coke bottle spectacles. His glasses screamed "nerd!" but his taut jaw line screamed "sex god!" His hair was his most strangely alluring feature—a bronze, reddish colour, which stuck out haphazardly, as if he'd just rolled out of bed.

Passing his hand through his hair, he hung his head down and started to speak, "I, a-am, hello, am…my name is Edward Whitson, I am 24 years old. I attended University of Maryland. I have a, am…BSC in Planning with a minor in Architecture and an MSC in Engineering in Project Management," he said timidly, but his voice was still as smooth as velvet; unlike any voice I'd ever heard. It flitted into my ears and rang though my entire body. I thought I might orgasm on the spot, if my mouth had not been hanging open in shock—along with everyone else's—at the number of qualifications he had for his age. I was pretty sure I heard Mike and a few other guys mutter the word "geek," amidst quiet laughter, as Edward finished.

Mr. Cullen—Carlisle, he insisted that we refer to him as Carlisle and his wife as Esme—was the first to bring everyone out of their shock.

"Thank you for introducing yourselves. After you are finished with your meal, you may leave to spend the next couple days with your family and friends. As you knew, before you were interviewed that you would be called upon at any time to work outside of the US. Spend the rest of the days with your family, because on Wednesday afternoon we will be in Trinidad and Tobago for two years. Work commences on Thursday."

While some people start existing the restaurant to return to their homes, a conversation began between Alice, Rosalie, Jasper, Emmett, Tanya, Edward, Carlisle and Esme about the project. Eventually there was a silence as the conversation died down and Carlisle decided to ask Edward about how he had attained so much at such a young age.

Edward replied, but he looked rather uncomfortable answering any questions about himself.

"I…am, skipped a lot of grades and earned a scholarship to Maryland to study by the age of fifteen."

"Scholarship?" Alice ears perked up at the mention of the word. "What did you complete at Maryland?"

"I did my double major," Edward replied.

It felt like pulling teeth, as Edward only answered what was asked.

Nothing more, and nothing less.

After what felt like eternity, Carlisle finally got out of Edward that he was given another scholarship to complete his Masters, where he maintained a perfect grade point average.

He looked nervous as he said this. _At least to me,_ I thought. To everyone else it looked very effortless, but to me, he seemed so uncomfortable. Most people were speechless_. _

_How can you just pull off a __perfect GPA in your major and minor and in your Masters…it's just not possible._

Esme finally spoke up, "Your parents must be very proud of you, Edward." She herself seemed proud, such a prodigy was a fantastic asset to their company.

Edward tensed at the mention of his parents, but he replied to Esme, "I did not know my parents…I grew up in an orphanage."

The pixie-like Cullen daughter, Alice, looked at him with a mixture of pity and horror. "That's so sad, how long were you in an orphanage for and where?"

"Since I was six…in Chicago." _Damn, that is a hard life._ What I felt was not pity or horror, it was compassion. I wanted to scoop him up. To put my hands on either side of that perfect jaw and clutch him to my chest. To tell him it would all be okay now that I was there for him.

_Not a rational reaction, Bella. Get a grip! _

"So you were never adopted?" Alice inquired, clearly unafraid to be blunt.

"No, most families found that I was too quiet, not a good fit for them, they said. So it never really worked out; but in the end, I believe that I was safer in the orphanage anyway."

Esme interrupted, trying to stop Alice's inquisition. "Edward, you have peculiarly colored eyes," Esme said wistfully, "They remind me so much my sister, Elizabeth Masen." But as the name 'Elizabeth Masen' left her mouth, Edward immediately paled and looked like he was going to either throw up or pass out.

"Edward, are you alright?" Carlisle asked, taking in his pallor.

"Yes, just a little upset stomach, nothing a little water won't cure," he replied as he tried to shake it off. Alice seemed like she was not buying the story.

"So were you originally from Chicago?" Alice inquired, but this time she was watching Edward with a very odd expression on her face that I could not read. Esme shared the same expression.

"Am, am, no, I am not," he replied but his answer was very short and suddenly cold.

"Well, where are you from?" Alice pushed.

"Am, I'm sorry to cut this conversation short, but I really have to go. I, have some important business to attend since…you know, I'm, am, leaving for two years," he cleared his throat awkwardly, nodded in the direction of Carlisle and Esme. He then hurried out the door as if the devil himself was chasing him.

The man was strange, there was no denying it, but the mystery only served to strengthen his appeal. I wanted to know him, to discover him from the inside out, and that scared me.

_Business before pleasure, Bella_, I told myself.

I had worked so hard to earn my place in this company and now was not the time to lose my head chasing a piece of ass. A mystifying, god-like, bronze-haired piece of ass, with a voice from the heavens and eyes poured from an emerald sea, but really, just a piece of ass none-the-less.

_Two more days to go and I will be in Trinidad, doing the job that I love, and Edward Whitson will be the farthest thing from my mind._

_Oh, who am I kidding? _

_Trinidad, here I come._

* * *

_Thanks to PTB and Polly._


	3. Chapter 2

Penname: RI40

Story Title: The Team That's Built on Lies.

Rating *NC-17

Characters: Edward*Bella

Genre: Mystery/Drama

**Summary:** Rigid Bella gets her dream job as Planning and Quality Officer, selected for a two year project in the Caribbean. Enter a shy, stuttering, green-eyed, handsome Edward, with a dangerous past and you have a project disaster. Will Edward make Bella forget all her rules when it comes to work and play? Or, will one of them end up dead before they get a chance to explore the possibilities of a relationship.

**BPOV**

Wednesday, January 4, 2010

I was so excited to be travelling to a new country for the first time that I arrived at the airport an hour ahead of time. I decided to sit in a corner and do a little research on Trinidad and Tobago while waiting for the others to arrive.

Taking out my new iPhone, a gift to myself in honor of my fabulous new job, I clicked the first link Google suggested for Trinidad and Tobago. I glanced quickly through the web page and I came across several things about the twin island country that interested me; I learned that Trinidad is known for its 'free to lime anywhere and anytime atmosphere' and Tobago is for those who want to relax in peace and quiet on the beautiful beaches.

_Definitely need to visit Tobago during my stay. _

What had excited me most was that Carnival would be coming up in February, which would be two days of dancing in the streets in a bikini to Soca and Steelpan. I shuttered, picturing people lined up on the streets watching me pass in my bikini, but it would be an experience that I would like to have. Continuing my research, I remembered that I wanted to do some more investigating into the late Mr. and Mrs. Masen.

The first web site led to an article dated in1990. It said that the Masens were one of the top five richest families in the world. At that time, their net estimate was approximately three hundred billion dollars in cash and assets, which included a chain of restaurants through out North America and Europe. The restaurant chain was opened by Mrs. Elizabeth Masen, but both Masen's Project Solutions and Masen's Oil Company were inherited by Mr. Masen from his father.

Another article opened with the headline of the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Masen in 1991. The article included information about their death, but no clues leading to why they were murdered. There was speculation that the mob, or possibly a competitor, was involved, as it looked liked an assassination. Both Mr. and Mrs. Masen were bound and gagged, then shot once in the back of the head. The thing that caught my attention and brought tears to my eyes was the fact that their six-year-old son, Anthony, went missing during the attack, and to date, had never been found.

Fixed on investigating further, I was instantly stopped by a shy voice saying, "Hello." Taking a sharp breath and jumping slightly in my seat, I looked up to see none other than Adonis himself standing over me with an unbelievably sexy smirk on his face. The article that I was reading was instantaneously forgotten.

_Fuck, how can one person be so good looking?_

I was brought out of my ogling when he started to laugh rather loudly.

"Is there a problem?" I replied callously, as he sat in the vacant chair next to me, his eyes never leaving mine.

"I don't think you meant to say that out loud…"

"Huh?"

_Oh, please, God, tell me I did not say that! Please, God, please._

"'Um, h-how can one person be so good looking?' You…um…said that aloud, p-perhaps you only meant to think it?" He spoke very slowly, as if I was mentally challenged. I was really doing a bang-up job of making a first impression with the fucking architect for the most important project of my career.

_Oh, shit! Get it together, Bella,_ I mentally scolded myself. _You are Bella Swan, Planning and Quality Officer, for a top solutions company. _

_You have been assigned to the most exclusive project to take place in the last ten years, and this bronze-haired anomaly sitting next to you is your direct supervisor!_

I could feel my face turning redder than a tomato as I mumbled an apology to him, whilst hoping the airport ground could just swallow me up.

"Don't worry about it. I can't understand how it's possible that you are more beautiful than an angel, so I guess we're in the same boat," he responded confidently. I would have never have speculated that he was shy or had a stutter. His statement only made me blush more.

_Did he just say I was more beautiful than an angel? _

I was fortunately saved by Carlisle, Esme, Alice, Emmett, Tanya, Jasper, and Rosalie entering the airport. I frantically waved them over to where Edward and I were seated, which made Edward chuckle at my actions. Right behind them were the remaining members of the group. Everyone gathered together and followed Carlisle and Esme through the tunnel and onto the company's jet.

The plane ride was six short hours, short because it passed quickly as everyone was deep in conversation getting to know each other. Well almost everyone, because Edward Whitson decided that he was suddenly too shy again to participate; only answering yes or no to questions that were thrown at him. He seemed like such a different person in a group than when we were alone. I observed him carefully throughout the flight. He did not laugh or speak with confidence, and I got the impression that there would be two different Edward Whitons on this trip. I would be satisfied to have just one of them—either one, I didn't care. Give me suave and confident or let me have genius and stuttering; I wasn't picky. I started fantasizing about Edward—his emerald eyes melting me with a lustful glare, the feel of his lips against my neck, my hands tangled in that messy bronze hair.

_No, Bella. Business before pleasure, business before pleasure__. _I had a feeling that would be my new mantra, _business before pleasure._

Landing in Trinidad's airport, we passed through Customs, where we were ushered into a bus that took us to the Hyatt Hotel. The twenty of us were split into groups of fours or fives according to gender. We had no choice as to who would be our roommates, and I was glad that I was at least not forced to share space with Tanya. Esme announced that Alice, Rosalie, Angela and I were in Suite One. Emmett, Jasper, Edward, Ben and Jacob were to room together in Suite Two. Jessica, Lauren, Tanya and Leah would share the Third Suite, while Sam, Seth, Mike, Eric and Tyler were to room in Suite Four. Carlisle and Esme would have Suite Five to themselves.

_Five suites for two years?_ I couldn't imagine how much room and board was going to cost MPS.

Everyone took their key card from Carlisle as Esme instructed us to regroup in forty-five minutes in the dining area, where they had an important announcement to make.

With the forty-five minutes to waste, conversation followed easily between the four girls within our rooms, as we unpacked our bags for the long stay.

"Is anyone as excited as I am?" Alice asked. She was never afraid to be the first to speak up.

"OF COURSE!" the three of us screamed. We chatted a little about the project, but mostly about the beauty of the island and how we would use our personal time. I immediately decided to inform them of my plan for the month of February.

"Girls, I was doing some research, and on the last two days of February each year, Trinidad and Tobago celebrates Carnival. I think we should sign up with a band to purchase costumes to play mas. What do you guys think?"

Alice and Rosalie started to scream, while Angela and I just stared each other, wondering if the two of them were going mad.

"Bella, that is a great idea!" Alice squealed.

"Let me set up my laptop and we'll search through some of the bands. Rose, call the other group members and tell them about our plan!" Alice turned back to me as she spoke enthusiastically, "It will be a great bonding experience, my mother and father will be _so_ impressed with your team building skills, Bella!"

_Score one point for Team Swan_, I thought with a smile.

T_ake that, Tanya Denali._

Some of the team members, like Jacob and Tyler, were not enthused about my team building suggestion, but when the boss' daughter spoke, they didn't have much of a choice. Alice convinced everyone to come and confer in our suite before the big meeting in the dining room.

Over the next thirty minutes, the eighteen member group discussed bands, costumes, and prices. At the end of the tiring discussion, we finally settled playing mas in Harts Band, section court dancers for both the male and female. After everyone put in their sizes and paid with their credit cards, we hurried downstairs to meet Carlisle and Esme for dinner. We went around the table ordering our meals and waited for Carlisle to speak.

"Guys, Esme and I won't be able to stay with the group at all times; we will be going back and forth between Forks and Trinidad. Therefore, someone must be left in charge. One of you will be appointed to be Project Manager, and another will be assigned the position of Project Assistant Manager," Carlisle informed everyone. Jasper and Emmett immediately watched each other and smiled. _Of course, the boss' son and his best friend will get the jobs,_ I thought indignantly.

"We'll be leaving Thursday, right after we sign the contract for MPS. Note that at the end of each quarter, the Project Manager will be completing appraisals for each team member, and those that do not receive a percentage of seventy-five or more will be immediately placed on probation and sent back to Forks. This project is a very important and is worth ten billion dollars to MPS, so please ensure that each of you give your all."

Carlisle continued, "The Project Assistant Manager is – Emmett Cullen." As soon as this was announced there were several loud 'What!'s around the table, including Emmett's voice. Obviously, I wasn't the only one who expected Emmett to be Project Manager. Emmett was positively fuming over the news that he would have to answer to someone above him for the next two years.

"The Project Manager will be Mr. Edward Whitson." The gasps were even louder this time, no one saw that coming.

I turned to watch Emmett's and Jasper's faces because I could have put my head on a block that they thought they were going to receive the Project Manager and Project Assistant Manager positions. Jasper looked pretty shocked, as did the rest of the table, including poor Edward. Emmett, though, looked like he was about to explode.

_Hmm, 3…2…1…_

"WHAT?" Emmett finally erupted.

"Emmett, please sit down and be quiet," Carlisle reprimanded him for his loud outburst within the dinning area. The floor suddenly got so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"No, I will not sit down," Emmett sneered, getting redder by the second, even as Rosalie tried to calm him down.

"How could you take my aunt's company—your sister," Emmett implored to Esme, "and put it in the hands of this shy, stuttering, silly little boy?" He pointed to Edward with a sneer. "Why? Because he has more qualifications than us? This is a billion dollar project we're talking about, Esme! How could you do this? I will not baby-sit him! This is Masen's image we are talking about! That boy knows nothing about MPS and you intend to promote him over me? I cannot allow this." Emmett's childish rant ended with an ultimatum. "Mother, either you make me the Project Manager and promote Jasper to Project Assistant Manager or I don't want any part of the leading team."

Esme glanced at Carlisle and I swear I saw the slightest smirk pass between them. "Okay, then Emmett, if that is your choice. Then Isabella Swan," she said turning from Emmett to me, "you will be the Project Assistant Manager." Esme responded very coolly, as if Emmett was again three years old, throwing a fit in the toy aisle. It took a moment for it to set in.

_Shit…did they just remove their son from __Project Assistant Manager and put Isabella Swan…Isabella Swan, fuck that's me. _

After the realisation hit me—that it was my name she called—I started to object. Was I really qualified to be the Project Assistant Manager? But I never got the chance to ask, as Emmett beat me to it.

"Esme, what are you two trying to prove?" Emmett grunted. In the corner of my eye, I could see Alice and Angela giving me sympathetic looks, but before Esme or Carlisle could answer, someone else piped in.

"They are trying to prove…um, that you are, um, are not ready to lead a project as big as this, Emmett. Furthermore, um, how do you know what Elizabeth Masen would have wanted?" said the Greek Adonis.

_Why do I keep calling him Adonis? His name is Edward, Bella, Edward._

"Who asked you anything?" Jasper interjected, suddenly looking as red as Emmett. W_hy is leading this project so important to those two guys? _

Ignoring Jasper's comment, Edward continued, "So…um, because I have not joined into what you all call 'fun and games,' you believe that I am not capable of running this project? Perhaps, because I am shy and stutter on occasion you think that I am an easy target?" The more he spoke, the more confidence his voice projected. His stammer seemed to decrease as he took command of the conversation. "Let me give you a little of my background experience, Emmett."

"Even though I started college young, when I turned 18, I applied to be the Project Assistant to build the university cafeteria. After that project was completed—within time and under budget—I was then recommended for and took the position of Project Manager to lead the building of the new Maryland Library, and then the new Engineering wing. I was also the lead engineer on the construction of the new stadium in St. Kitts; a position I took while completing a dissertation for my Masters, where I successfully managed the project along side maintaining my studies. Lastly, before I came to MPS, I worked as a freelance architect, assisting companies such as BP, BG, and Atlantic LNG in designing and constructing their buildings worldwide."

Everyone stared at Edward in shock. He was, indeed, not a silly, stuttering boy as Emmett had accused. He was a prodigy. He was an engineering and architectural genius, and he was clearly, more than qualified for the Project Manager position.

Edward wasn't quite done; he wanted to put the final nail in Emmett's career coffin. "So please tell me, Emmett, and you too Mr. Hale, since I am not qualified to run the project, what makes you qualified?" He finished with the raise of his eyebrow. Even though his face was serious, there was just a hint of a sexy crooked smirk playing on his lips. I had the sudden urge to ask him to bend me over this table in front of everyone and fuck me, because seeing him in control this way turned me on.

_Business before pleasure_.

Working underneath Edward Whitson was going to be very hard_. _

_Me… underneath__...him…hard. _

_Oh, God, help me! _

I turned my attention back to the meeting at hand, begrudgingly tearing myself away from Edward's artfully cocked eyebrow and crooked grin. The looks on Carlisle and Esme's faces were priceless. It was a mixture of shock and pride, kind of like the look you give your child when he stands up to a bully for the first time. Only in this case, their own son was the bully, and another had finally stood up against him. Everyone else around the table was also taken aback, but Rosalie's expression was one of disgust. Or, perhaps it was more towards jealousy, but jealousy of whom?

Alice was another story. She had that same peculiar expression on her face as she did at Masen's restaurant a few days before—curiosity, suspicion. I made a mental note: _Keep warming up to Alice, find out what she's getting at with Edward. _

Being a part of this team was becoming increasingly tricky. Factions were being formed, sides chosen, and subterfuge planned. By virtue of being chosen as Project Assistant Manager, my side had been chosen for me. It would be Edward and I against Emmett and Jasper. All the others, it seemed, would fall into one group or the other.

Emmett and Jasper did not challenge Edward's short autobiography, and offered no retort concerning their own qualifications. Still, they were clearly not satisfied with Carlisle and Esme's decision to put Edward and me in charge of the project.

"You all can return to you rooms or do as you'd like with the rest of the night. We'll muster at seven in the morning. Emmett, Jasper, Alice and Rosalie please remain, Esme and I would like to speak to you," Carlisle informed the group, but he seemed very irritated.

Walking up towards the elevator to go to the tenth floor, I pulled Angela aside to take the stairs instead. I wanted to question her about the situation in the dining room. Angela would choose our side, I suspected.

"Congrats on the Project Assistant Manager position Bella," Angela said, with no hint of envy in her voice.

"Thanks, Angie. Can I call you Angie?" I asked, trying to build a familiarity and camaraderie between us.

"Sure, my brothers call me Angie and I love it," she responded with a smile.

"Great, call me Bells if you want," Angela nodded and I could tell she was warming up to me. "Did you notice whatever that was between Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie? Is it me or do they seem to want the Project Manager and Project Assistant Manager positions very badly?"

"Girl, I'm glad I wasn't the only one who noticed that. It reminded me that on Monday, before the meeting started, I was coming out of the restroom and overheard the three of them in a serious conversation."

"Did you happen to catch any of what they said?" I asked very softly, looking back down the stairs to make sure that no one was there.

"Bells, please do not repeat this to any one, I don't want to cause any trouble." Angela was still trying to play the middle. It wasn't possible for long; she'd have to choose sides eventually.

"Angie, you have my promise," I said in my most honest voice, and I meant it. I needed this information for myself, to draw my own conclusions. If I decided to share it with anyone, I would never have to tell them it came from Angela.

"Okay. I trust you, Bella, and I'm glad to be working under you instead of Jasper." She hesitated for a moment, chewing on one of her fingernails before continuing, "What I overheard was Jasper talking to Emmett…something about Emmett talking to Carlisle to ensure that Emmett gets the Project Manager position and Jasper gets the Project Assistant Manager position."

"I'm not surprised…I mean, Emmett is their son after all, I'm sure he expected the position to be his. So I wonder what the big deal about it was."

"I was thinking nothing at the time…but then, Jasper said that they have to wait four more years to access the money…"

_Money_. The root of all evil in this business, I knew. My curiosity was piqued; I interrupted Angela, "What money?"

"That was the same question Rosalie asked. Jasper informed her that the Masens left all their money to their son, Anthony. When Mr. and Mrs. Masen were killed and their son went missing, Esme went to the courts to take control of the Masens Empire, which when I researched the net worth, I found it was billions of dollars."

_That is a lot of money._

"Angie, I can't imagine that Esme is after the Masen's money, I mean, the Cullens have made millions of dollars on their own. Elizabeth was her sister for Christ's sake and Carlisle was a top surgeon, before he quit and got into Project Management. Esme even continued to be an Interior Decorator, while she ran the Masen's restaurant chain. I don't think it's about money for them, I think it's about continuing the Masen's legacy."

"I know, I was thinking the same thing and you are right, Bella." She stopped and turned to face me, looking over my shoulder to make sure that no one was there.

"Well then, what is it Angela?"

"Emmett was saying that he was trying to get his mother to return to the court and change what she did in 1991." I opened my mouth to ask what she did in 1991, but Angela patiently said, "Bella, stop interrupting me, ask whatever questions you have after I'm done, otherwise we'll never get out of this stairwell."

"Sorry, I'm just anxious to find out where all of this is going. Go ahead and finish the story."

"So it appears that Esme told the court that she did not want access to the Masen fortune."

_I knew it! Esme and Carlisle don't seem like the greedy type._

Angela continued, "The judge asked her why and she said that she believed that her nephew, Anthony, was not dead and would return someday, once his life was no longer in danger. Esme believes that when he returns, the Masen Empire is rightfully his."

"But it's been nearly twenty years and there's been no sign of Anthony Masen?"

"Bells, you're interrupting again," Angela scowled playfully. I gave her a sheepish grin and she elaborated. "The judge asked her what she would do if her nephew did not return. She informed him that she would like a document written up, stating that if he did not return, before he reached the age of 28, the Masen Empire would be split as follows: Emmett would receive Masen's Project Solutions, which, at present, is estimated to be worth about 500 billion dollars, due to the fact that they have been receiving billion dollar projects left and right. As well, Alice would receive Masen's Restaurant Chain and Masen Oil Company. Are you following me?" Angela asked.

I nodded my head yes.

"Good," Angela said, "Because this is the part where it gets interesting. Apparently, Jasper and Rosalie Hale aren't just acquaintances of Emmett's from college." I leaned in as Angela lowered her voice even more, so she was barely speaking above a whisper. "Jasper is Alice Cullen's _husband_!" I gasped and immediately covered my mouth to smother the sound.

"And that's not all!" Angela's eyes got wide. "Rosalie Hale is really Rosalie _Cullen_, she's married to Emmett!"

My mind went into a frenzy. How had they kept this quiet? Did Carlisle and Esme know? I had no idea that Rosalie and Alice were even married…let alone married to each other's brother. _They're not even sleeping in the same rooms!_ Something entirely fucked up was going on in Trinidad and I was right in the middle of it.

"Ok, I understand where Esme is coming from, she believes that Anthony is still alive and will claim his place as heir to the Masen fortune. What does that have to do with the Cullen kids being married?"

"Apparently, Emmett, Jasper and Rosalie have been arguing with Carlisle and Esme about returning to the courts and reversing what Esme had written up back in 1991. They are tired of waiting to inherit their dead aunt's fortune."

"What about Alice, where does she fit in?" I wondered why she wasn't fighting her parents in an attempt to get her hands on the money.

"I heard Jasper mention that too. It sounds like Alice agrees with Esme. She and her cousin, Anthony, were close as children and she still hopes that he is alive and will come forward to claim the empire. She truly loves Jasper and cannot see him for the devious plotter that he is."

"So Alice doesn't want Esme to readjust the documents…but her brother, sister-in-law and husband do…that puts her in a tight spot." _Alice will be on our side_, I thought. I just had to get to her first. "So has Esme taken any action in the courts?"

"Apparently not. It seems that Esme graciously advised the three of them that if they wanted to see a cent of her sister's fortune, they would just have to wait until Anthony's 28th birthday, which Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper were not pleased with, of course."

"So, this all has something to do with Emmett and Jasper trying to get Project Manager and Project Assistant Manager positions—the power positions."

"Seems so," Angela said, nodding her head yes.

"But…" I started, however, before I could finish my sentence, we heard a voice behind us that made Angela and I jump a foot in the air and our hearts to skip a beat. It was _that_ voice. The voice that did more than surprise me…it thrilled me in ways I couldn't control.

"Hey, um, what are you guys doing loitering on the stairs? Are you locked out of your room? Or are you hanging out gossiping?" Edward asked, with a look in his eyes that said he had heard either some or all of what we had been talking about. "Tsk, tsk," he said with a wink, while waving his pointer finger in front of our faces.

_Did Shy Edward Whitson just wink at me?_

_Do it again baby!_

_What the hell is wrong with me? _

_Business before pleasure, business before pleasure._

"Nothing," both Angela and I said at the same time, like kids who had been caught stealing from the cookie jar. But Edward did not inquire; he just raised his eyebrow at me, in the way that melted me. I could feel my eyes glazing over as I stared at that cocked eyebrow. I wanted to touch it, or lick it maybe.

"May I…um, walk you ladies to your room?"

I nodded, unable to form an intelligible sentence. The walk up the last flight of stairs and to our suite was silent.

We wished Edward good night and went straight to bed. Alice and Rosalie were not back from their meeting with Carlisle and Esme yet, and I wished I could have been a fly on that dining room wall.

As I lay down to sleep, I set my alarm clock for six, giving me plenty of time to shower and prepare for the day ahead. I prayed that the Project Assistant Manager position would be a blessing, not a curse for me, and that tomorrow would bring a brighter day. Lastly, I prayed for sleep that never came.


	4. Chapter 4

Penname: RI40

Story Title: The Team That's Built on Lies.

Rating *NC-17

Characters: Edward*Bella

Genre: Mystery/Drama

**Summary:** Rigid Bella gets her dream job as Planning and Quality Officer, selected for a two year project in the Caribbean. Enter a shy, stuttering, green-eyed, handsome Edward, with a dangerous past and you have a project disaster. Will Edward make Bella forget all her rules when it comes to work and play? Or, will one of them end up dead before they get a chance to explore the possibilities of a relationship.

**BPOV**

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

_God, my eyes. They feel like gravel._

_I just need two more hours sleep,_ I thought as I rolled over onto my back.

After my talk with Angela and run in with Edward last night, I couldn't sleep no matter how I tried. I tried taking a bath then retired to bed, but my eyes still refused to close.

I tossed and turned, replaying the conversation between Angela and myself, and came to the conclusion that I got myself into some deep shit.

Out of all the companies where I interviewed why did I pick the one where the children and their spouses were fighting for power within a corporation which didn't belong to them?

Alice and even Rosalie had been very nice to me ever since I met them on Monday. Even so, the look on Rosalie's face during that meeting when Emmett was bypassed for the position was a look of jealousy, disgust, and anger. Toward whom I still didn't know.

Then there was Edward. I thought he was shy, but when Emmett took a jab at him in front of everyone, calling him a silly, stuttering, little boy, everyone around the table, including me was shock when he responded to Emmett's denigration of his character.

_Guess he showed them who the leader is._

Tossing and turning one last time, I couldn't delay getting up any longer. I brushed my teeth, took a bath again and walked out of the bathroom toward the bedroom. With my hair dripping wet, I pulled on my Levi skinny boot jeans, brown safety boots, and black short sleeve polo with the MPS logo. Grabbing my laptop, I headed out my bedroom door to where Angela was seated patiently waiting for me in her blue jeans, safety boots, and blue MPS polo shirt. Her laptop was by her feet and she held two coffees in her hands.

My brain started to function again once the scent hit my nostrils.

_You're definitely on my side, Angie._

Promptness and coffee were two of my favorite things and among the quickest avenues to my heart.

Looking at my watch, I realized we had ten minutes to go before seven a.m. o'clock.

_We need to get a move on if we want to be on time._

"Morning, I got a coffee for you," Angela said with a genuine smile.

"Thanks. I need this, Angie," I replied appreciatively. "Where are Alice and Rosalie?"

"They left about half an hour ago while you were in the shower. They said they had something to do."

I raised my eyebrow at her statement.

"Hmm, what do you think they're up to?" I hoped Alice had not yet been roped into whatever scheme the others were cooking up.

"Alice was on cloud nine. I think she had too much coffee. She said she was too excited about starting the project to be sitting inside on a beautiful morning. Rosalie, on the other hand, still looked upset."

"Things are not going as she had planned; that's for sure," I observed aloud to Angela. Throughout the night, as I had thought back over our conversation again and again, I came to the conclusion that I could trust Angela. I would need a reliable confidant to succeed in a cut-throat environment like this, and Angela would be a great asset…with her keen eyes and ears and her analytical mind.

Upon walking through the suite door, Angela and I heard voices coming from the nearby stairs and couldn't help but turn in the direction of the noise.

What we saw made our jaws drop.

Strawberry slut-cake, Tanya Denali, had Edward pushed up against the wall with her hand down his jeans. She looked like she was about to eat him alive. However, the expressions on Edward's face were comical.

First he was shocked, then bored and finally he was livid.

Edward's jaw was tight as he sneered at Tanya through clenched teeth. "Remove your hands from my balls, right now." When she did not comply, he pinched the bridge of his nose.  
_Punch her. Punch her, Edward, _I mentally cheered. But I knew Edward was not the type of man who would ever hit a woman.

"Eddie, I want to help you relieve some of that tension, so you can be stress free on your first day," the slut said in her most seductive voice.

"Move. Your. Hand. Now. Tanya," Edward ordered.

Tanya shook her head, "no" slowly with a big grin on her face like she thought it was a game and Edward was playing hard to get. It was clear to Angela and me that he was not interested.

"Come on, Eddie. You know what they say about all work and no play…," she taunted as she tightened her grip on his package.

"Miss Denali," Edward began curtly, "my name is Edward. I am your boss and co-worker, and you will address me as Mr. Whitson—nothing more, nothing less. Please remove your hand from my pants and get out of my sight before I report you to Carlisle." He spoke in a voice that was so cold, it sent shivers down my spine.

Tanya was both shocked and embarrassed at the words coming out of his mouth and the severe tone he was using. From the redness of her cheeks, one could tell that she was not accustomed to being turned down. At least, she didn't need to be told a _third_ time as she finally removed her hand and ran down the stairs in a huff.

Before we could be seen, Angela and I hurried to the elevator to join the rest of the group. After the shock wore off, we looked at each other, smirks on both of our faces, and snickered

"SLUT" under our breath. That was the only word that could describe Tanya, and I obviously wasn't the only one who thought so.

We met up with the full group in the lobby as everyone grabbed their bagel of choice from the box that was provided for us and headed to the construction site to begin work. On the compound, there were large containers that were renovated into air-conditioned offices for the workers. Angela and I parted ways as I met up with Edward for our meeting with Carlisle and Esme.

At the site, Carlisle and Esme spoke to both Edward and me, instructing us as to what would be required of us. I quickly discovered that the only thing that was sure to make this position difficult was working with Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie. They clearly telegraphed their opinions as they looked on us with squinted eyes and clenched teeth.

After Carlisle and Esme signed the contract, we met with the sponsors and received the charter and scope for the project. Shortly afterward, Carlisle and Esme left Edward and me alone to discuss any further plans necessary to start and complete the project successfully.

I really tried my best not to ogle him. But it was impossible with the way he was looking. Edward was leaning against the window inside the container, feet crossed, wearing a black fitted company polo. This showed off his defined his muscular upper body, _that I didn't know existed—_as well as black safety boots, and boot leg jeans. Watching him made saliva pool in my mouth and wetness drip in my panties, and I hadn't even reached his face yet.

_Don't get me started on that face._

"When you are finished ogling me, _Isabella_, I would like to start this meeting," His velvet voice brought me out of my daydream.

_Whoa, where did that come from? Pompous prick! _I thought indignantly.

"I'm sorry Mr. Whitson. Please let's get started," I replied, feeling my face flame, red with embarrassment.

"You really need to learn how to filter your thoughts when you're around me, _Isabella_." He kept calling me Isabella. Something about him saying my proper name like that—so intently, so directly and seductively, without even trying—made me shiver.

_Damn, I think I just soaked my boy shorts._

Flashing me a billion-dollar smile, he said, "I can assure you, _Isabella_ that I am not a pompous prick. If you need a moment to…uh, change your boy shorts as your called them, by all means, you're excused."

_Shit! Double shit!_

"N-no," I squeaked intent on not saying or even _thinking_ anything else. I seem to be a loose cannon around this guy.

"Isabella, I think we got off on the wrong foot yesterday at the airport. When I said … well, when I spoke with you so candidly, I did not realize we would be working together in such close quarters. I mean: I'm your direct supervisor now, and I … well, I just hope we won't have any problems working together because I believe that we could make a good team."

_Team? Boyfriend and girlfriend or married couple. They are all teams. Can we be that type of team? You're thinking again, Bella._

I couldn't look him in the eye as he spoke, so I stared at the ground when I responded, "Yes, sir, you'll have no further problems from me." This was so unlike me, putting my career on the line over a silly, fleeting crush.

_Business before pleasure; remember, Bella?_

"Please, call me Edward," he said.

"Only if you call me Bella," I responded. I couldn't have him going around calling me _Isabella_ in that stormy, creamy voice of his all the time. _There aren't enough panties in the world_. I was extra careful to keep my thoughts to myself for the rest of the meeting.

"Sure, Bella," He responded, flashing me that smile that made my knees go weak.

Over the next half an hour, we talked about what we needed to make the sponsors happy. Edward informed me that the construction workers would be starting work on Monday; therefore, we needed to have the schedules up and on the board so they would know their responsibilities. Our private meeting had been all business, but I knew we had a lot more to discuss about the team.

I wondered how much Edward had gleaned about Emmett and Jasper. He seemed like a perceptive observer, and I was sure we would need each other's help against whatever they might be planning. We didn't have the time to discuss the politics of MPS at the moment. When Edward mentioned we would be breaking the team into two groups, I suggested that the Cullens and Hales be assigned to our group, where we could keep a close eye on them.

"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer," Edward said with a grin. "I like the way you think, Swan." At the end of the meeting, we stood to call the rest of the group so we could update them on our decisions.

As I reached out to open the door, I froze. Edward's hand came into contact with mine on the door handle. Such a simple thing—two people reaching for the same object at the same time—but the skin to skin contact sent my body into overdrive. Feelings that I had never felt before, coursed through me. It felt as though I was being electrocuted as this new sensation washed over my body. Looking up at him, my eyes met his emerald green irises through the thick glass of his lenses, and I was instantly paralyzed. We both stood there—unmoving like stone, afraid even to breathe and disturb the energy between us.

I wanted to kiss him so badly.

_This is new. _I suddenly realized. _I've never felt this way before_.

In all of my adult life, I had never cared about anything other than my career. There in that moment, with his hand on top of mine and his green eyes boring into my soul, all I cared about was him. I couldn't help but wonder if he felt the same way.

"Bella, you need to move your hand now … otherwise, I won't be held responsible for what I do next." Edward's breathy voice brought me out of my trance, but I still made no attempt to move. I felt as if a rope was tied around us—a feeling of need and want that made it impossible for me to let go.


	5. Chapter 5

***Graphic Content* **

**well might be for some.**

Penname: RI40

Story Title: The Team That's Built on Lies.

Rating *NC-17

Characters: Edward*Bella

Genre: Mystery/Drama

**Summary:** Rigid Bella gets her dream job as Planning and Quality Officer, selected for a two year project in the Caribbean. Enter a shy, stuttering, green-eyed, handsome Edward, with a dangerous past and you have a project disaster. Will Edward make Bella forget all her rules when it comes to work and play? Or, will one of them end up dead before they get a chance to explore the possibilities of a relationship.

**BPOV**

Within the blink of an eye, my back was pushed against the door and his mouth was on mine. His lips were so soft that I melted into him, my chest pressed against his, and our bodies fit together like a key in a lock. I snaked my hands around his neck, weaving my fingers through his soft hair. _Just as I had imagined._

One of his hands was on my ass pushing me into him and the other caressing my cheek with his thumb. I felt a flush rise up my body, as if I was on fire from the heat of his touch. I never wanted the burning to stop. His tongue stroked my bottom lip, asking for entrance, and I moaned, ready to grant him easy access. As soon as our tongues touched, a knock resounded at the door behind my head. Then a voice rang from behind it, asking what time we would like to start the meeting.

"Bella? Edward?" Angela's voice sang.

Reality crashed down and brought us out of our animalistic state. As we separated, the feelings of shame, embarrassment, and unprofessionalism washed through me, and rinsed away the lust I felt just moments before. In the wake of Edward's touch, I felt only loneliness, sadness, and confusion.

_What the hell is going on with me? _

_It was just homesickness, I reasoned. _

_Everything in my life had just changed within the span of a few days. _

_I just had some things I needed to sort out; that was all._

_You better sort this shit out quickly,_ I told myself.

I stepped away from the door, and took a deep breath, as Edward opened the door and asked Angela to tell the others to come in. I quickly made my way to a chair on the far side of the table and waited for the rest of the team to file in and find their seats so, we could proceed with the meeting. Edward took a seat on the opposite side from where I sat refusing to look in my direction.

Touching my lips, I started to daydream about how his lips felt on mine. But, that daydream didn't last long as I was brought out of my fantasy when Angela took the seat closest to mine, nudging my shoulder and smiling as she sat.

When everyone had taken their seats, the meeting commenced. During the hour, I worked damn hard to stay focused on the meeting—to stay focused on _anything_ but Edward.

**EPOV**

Sleeping the first night at the Hyatt Hotel, I had hoped that maybe my nightmare would finally cease. Being in another country, I thought maybe the fresh air or tropical breeze, might clear my head.

Was I right? No, the nightmare I had experienced every night for the past eighteen years kept reoccurring.

It would always start the same way; my dad shouting in the background.

_"What are you doing in here?" my father asked the intruder._

_"Edward, baby, wake up," my mother said in a low, frantic voice, shaking me by the shoulders._

_"Yes, Mommy," I said, wiping the sleep from my eyes. In the background, I could hear my father quarrelling with the unknown intruder._

_My mother clutched my shoulder and started to speak. "Remember what we talked about, baby? If ever your dad and I are in trouble, what you are supposed to do?"_

_"Yes, Mommy." I was barely awake._

_"Today is that day, baby. Take the bag under the bed and go out the window. Please be careful. You need to run and hide; only come out of hiding in the morning just like we talked about."_

_I saw the worried look in her eyes. This was serious. I started to panic._

_"Do you understand me?" She begged, her words hurried and frantic. "Do you understand me, baby?"_

_I began to cry. "Yes, Mommy." It was all I could say._

_"Go to the orphanage that Daddy and I showed you, give them the letter, and we will come for you there. Please be safe, and I love you." Hugging and kissing my mother, I took hold of the bag and did what I was told._

_The bag contained my passport, my birth certificate, some clothes, a box with a chain and bracelet with the family crest, and an envelope with a letter. _

_Out through the window, I hid in an empty space for an air conditioning unit behind the house until it was safe to leave. It had been quiet for what seemed like hours, so instead of going straight to the orphanage like I had promised my mother. I went back in search of her and Dad. Little did I know, that last night would be the last time I would see my mother and father alive._

_Searching my bedroom, I found my mother lying facedown in a pool of blood with a hole in the back of her head._

_I somehow knew that I was never going to forget this. I thought as I ran to her side._

_I was covered in her blood; tears flowed without restraint from my eyes as I shook my mother's body, begging her to wake up. I even plead with her and promised to be good if she would just wake up. She didn't. _

_I decided to search for my father, thinking that he would wake my mother up, but I found him on the stairs in the same position as my mother. _

_Bending down, I kissed my father on his cheek and dialed 9-1-1 like they showed me. When the operator came on the line, I did not answer but left the phone connected so the call could be traced to our home. I left through the window to fulfill my mother's last request. I never knew what the letter to the orphanage said because I hadn't bother to look, but I knew that they willingly took me in._

Opening my eyes, I stared at the ceiling, tears flowing freely from my eyes, as I reflected on the only clear memories I had of my parents—the memories of the night they were murdered. Shaking my head and drying my tears, I shifted my thoughts to the group that I would begin working with in the next few hours and how I ended up in Trinidad.

Sitting on the jet, headed to Trinidad with my co-workers, I contemplated my two career choices before I selected MPS. The alternative to Masen's Project Solutions had been Black Projects, another prestigious solutions company. MPS was more established and was known for their quality of work, which was the reason they were awarded projects all over the world; whereas Black chose to bribe and undermine their way into winning contracts.

Half of my co-workers had the idea that I was shy while the other half believed that I was just anti-social. In truth, I pretended to be quiet and shy because I was afraid to get too close to anyone.

_Because they always end up dead,_ I reminded myself.

I had learned that the hard way in college when I decided to tell my first girlfriend, Kate Robin, about my past. I had never told anyone who I was or what had happened to my parents until I told Kate.

One weekend, we were supposed to go out on a date, but I got stuck helping Ms. White at the orphanage with the hoard of new kids from a children's home that had been shut down by the city. I called Kate and told tell her that I would not be able to make it on time that we should cancel our date. I informed her that I would visit her in the morning and make it up to her.

But the next day, at her house, I was met with police all over her lawn. I remember running past the police, entering the house, and witnessing Kate lying face down in a pool of blood. The police said it was a burglar, yet nothing of value was taken from the home. Her body had been dragged to the bedroom and left, just like my mother's. I was only twenty then, so what did I do? I ran outside to the garden and puked my guts out. That was the first and last time I had a girlfriend or any type of friend for that matter. I never told anyone who I really was.

_And I never will again._

Growing up in an orphanage wasn't as hard as everyone seemed to think it would be. There was a stigma that came from being an orphan, and boys at school would bully me and the other kids quite often. So I learned at the age of ten that I needed to be tough, especially after I was badly beaten by a fifteen-year-old boy for money that I didn't have. After that lesson, I volunteered to assist in cleaning after karate classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at a local Martial Arts studio in exchange for training. Ms. White, the owner of the orphanage, did not have a problem with my new activity because she knew it would help keep me out of trouble. Even with the karate classes, cleaning, and helping out around the orphanage, I still had so much time on my hands that all I did was study. I excelled in pretty much everything. I was the perfect son that any mother and father could ask for, and for years, I hoped that if I was good enough—that if I studied hard, and made my bed, and said my prayers—my parents would come back.

_They never returned._

I finally got out of bed after realizing that going back to sleep was not an option. I dressed and decided to take the stairs since I had about fifteen minutes to go before meeting the others downstairs. Unfortunately, I was immediately attacked by the company's slut, Tanya, on stairwell. I knew Tanya's type—the type that tried sleep her way to the top … and usually succeeded.

_Sorry, not going to be a participant,_ I thought. T_here is only one person I want, and she's an angel. Angel's don't sleep their way up the company ladder._

Carlisle and Esme held a meeting with my Bella and me to discuss what would be required of us.

_Wait. _My Bella?_ Where the hell did that come from? _

After Carlisle and Esme left, the meeting between Bella and I, turned out to be a productive one. We talked for about thirty minutes on our visions for the project. But I kept having visions of her—to be more exact, her _naked_.

Bella was about five foot four brunette. She was the girl of my dreams, and when I saw her at the airport, I was immediately drawn to her. _How had I not noticed her before?_ In the beginning, I had been so fixated on the job, so focused on keeping my cover, that I didn't even see her. But I saw her now. _Oh, how I saw her._ And I wanted to see more. She had the body of a goddess. She was beautiful and confident, independent and smart—any guy's dream girl.

_I need to stop thinking about her this way_

So to save myself from attacking her right there in the boardroom, I decided to cut our meeting short and bring in our co-workers and fill them in on our choices.

In my blind rush to the door, I did not realize that Bella was also making her way to call the team. I do not know what came over me, but I attacked her at the door.

_Well, attacked her with my mouth, anyway._

My lips met hers hungrily, and I felt the desire returned. Her lips were softer than a baby's skin, and just as she was about to grant me access to her tongue, we were interrupted.

Angela was behind the door. Collecting myself, I told her to let the others enter and I made my way back to my chair at the head of the table. Bella sat on the opposite end, and it took all my strength not to let my eyes fall on her. I was afraid that if they did, I wouldn't be able to tear them away again.

_Edward, you need to get yourself together._ I gave myself a mental pep talk. _People are waiting to see you fail; you need to prove them wrong. That kind of behavior must never happen again. _

Sitting opposite her, I did my best to not make eye contact. I allowed myself only a glimpse at the expression on her face. It was one of sadness and hurt.

_Did I cause that look?_

Just then Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie entered the office glaring at me.

_Can this day get any worse?_

I should not have thought that because, as expected, it did get worse.


	6. Chapter 6

Penname: RI40

Story Title: The Team That's Built on Lies.

Rating *NC-17

Characters: Edward*Bella

Genre: Mystery/Drama

**Summary:** Rigid Bella gets her dream job as Planning and Quality Officer, selected for a two year project in the Caribbean. Enter a shy, stuttering, green-eyed, handsome Edward, with a dangerous past and you have a project disaster. Will Edward make Bella forget all her rules when it comes to work and play? Or, will one of them end up dead before they get a chance to explore the possibilities of a relationship.

EPOV

"Guys, we start working on Monday. We'll break up into two groups." I had worked on some prestigious projects before but never with a team this large. I knew how to handle it though, and I would never let my subordinates see me sweat.

"Each group will have a team leader responsible for liaising with Isabella," I explained, pointing in Bella's direction without actually looking at her. I knew she preferred that I call her Bella, but I felt that kind of familiarity was unwarranted in this present circle. I couldn't allow the team to see my feelings for her. A romantic attraction was a sign of weakness, and weakness I could not afford.

"Lauren, Tanya, Jessica, Leah, Mike, Jacob, Sam, Seth, Tyler, and Ben are Group One. That leaves Isabella, Emmett, Alice, Angela, Jasper, Eric, Rosalie, and me in Group Two." I looked around the room and saw no protest, but I noticed a conspiratorial exchange passed between Emmett and Jasper. They were going to be a handful.

"Leah, you are the lead, for Group One. I need a schedule before Saturday." I slid a file towards her. "That file has equipment requisitions and the names of the construction workers that will be here at seven Monday morning. Please, fill out the forms for the necessary machinery, and pass them to me to be signed before two o'clock today. We need schedules drawn up, outlining where each of the workers will be assigned. Please post them in front of the building as it is easy to access for the workers."

I continued my delegating to Group One, "Tanya, we need signs around the building to ensure that no one gets lost. Mike, I need you to communicate with the contractors on a payment schedule. Lauren, you will work with Leah to get the schedules as accurate as possible. Jessica and Jacob, get me estimates on the rented machinery and cost of goods and services. Sam and Seth, you will be working closely with the contractors ensuring that they follow the designs, so prepare to buddy up with those guys. Tyler, you'll be with Sam and Seth, making sure that they are within the Health and Safety Regulations. Lastly, Ben, you're in charge of testing the foundation and other such tasks, upon completion."

All of this was important information, but the most imperative detail of a project like this was the one that employees often ignored. "_No one_ is allowed on site without safety boots and hats. _No one_. Do I make myself clear?"

Nods were exchanged all around the room.

_Just wait until one of these suits steps on a rusty nail or knocks their head on a steel beam_, I thought. _There's one in every crowd_.

"Any questions, Group One?"

"No," they all answered. I moved on to Group Two.

"Good, Group Two, our job starts with the inside of the building. Isabella, as the Project Assistant Manager, will be the lead. Alice, Jasper, and I will be working on designing the inside of the building and getting the plans approved by the sponsors. Alice, your specialty will be selecting different styles and colors of furniture for them to choose from." I could see Alice's eyes light up at the prospect of being in charge of the interior design. I knew she got that from her mother. I gave Alice a warm smile before I moved on.

"Rosalie, you'll ensure that the machinery is ordered and working. You will also be in charge of equipment breakage and replacement. Angela and Isabella will be responsible for ordering goods and keeping both teams on schedule. Emmett and Eric, you'll be working with me, posting everything that we receive online, so Carlisle and Esme can easily review the project's status." I watched Emmett's jaw tense as I basically told him I wouldn't be letting him out of my sight for a moment. "Any questions, Group Two?"

"The sponsor was here and made some changes to the project scope," Emmett said out of the blue.

_Well, that wasn't really a question, but I'll bite._

"Why wasn't I called?"

"Because, _boss_, you were in a meeting with Isabella," Rosalie sneered.

I slowly narrowed my eyes at her and Emmett.

It was best to nip this in the bud quickly, before it got out of hand.

"Allow me to set everyone straight," I stood from my seat and held the back of my chair. "I am the Project Manager. Not you, Emmett, or you, Rosalie. If any party wants to make changes, you will contact me. If I am not available, you will get Isabella. In the event that we are both indisposed, you will kindly tell the sponsor or the contractor or God himself that you are not at liberty to make that decision, and that the Project Manger will get back with him or her as soon as possible. You are not to make any changes. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes," everyone aside from Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper answered. The three instigators merely smiled in my direction.

_Apparently, I haven't made myself clear. _

"Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett, your attitudes stop here." I leaned over the table and slapped my hand on the mahogany surface.

The bang echoed throughout the office, causing everyone to jump in their seats. "You have been nothing but rude, spoiled little brats, and I will not allow you to cause this project to fail. If you cannot work with the rest of the team and if you cannot report to me, then stand up right now and walk out that door. No one is holding you here against your will. Carlisle and Esme have not left yet; I would gladly allow you to accompany them back to Forks." I watched as the realization set in. The smug looks on their faces dissipated as they realized that it would only take one phone call to Carlisle and Esme's suite to get them taken off this project.

"This is your last chance. I will not hesitate to rate your evaluations as unsatisfactory. Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear?"

"Yes," the three grunted, begrudgingly, in unison.

"As you can see, I won't be bullied, and that goes for everyone," I gave each team member a fleeting but meaningful glance as I spoke. Well, each team member but Bella. One look at her could break my concentration, my stone façade. I could not let her be my weakness.

By the time I was finished with my speech, each team member's jaw was on the ground. I did not care; I would demand their respect. It was necessary to establish it from the start. I needed to be a prick—a pompous prick as Bella would say—to Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie in order for them to do their work.

"Meeting dismissed," I called out. "Get to work. Any problems … I'll be in my office."

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I asked Bella to remain as everyone filed out of the boardroom.

**BPOV**

His face showing no emotion, Edward said the words that caused my heart to stop beating.

"Isabella, we need to talk."


	7. Chapter 7

Penname: RI40

Story Title: The Team that's built on lies.

Rating *NC-17

Characters: Edward*Bella

Genre: Mystery/Drama

**Summary:** Rigid Bella gets her dream job as Planning and Quality Officer, selected for a two year project in the Caribbean. Enter a shy, stuttering, green-eyed, handsome Edward, with a dangerous past and you have a project disaster. Will Edward make Bella forget all her rules when it comes to work and play? Or, will one of them end up dead before they get a chance to explore the possibilities of a relationship.

**BPOV**

"Isabella, we need to talk," Edward said.

"Sure, sure," I replied, my heart beating faster than it should be allowed. I was afraid it would beat right out of my chest.

"What happened earlier, that was a mistake." He did it. Just like that, he cut me open.

_A mistake_?

I held myself together. I wouldn't let him see me bleed.

"I agree. A mistake. I apologize, it won't happen again," I said coolly.

_But why does my heart say differently?_

"Bella, it is not your fault, I was the one who..."

I cut him off before he could finish. "I better go get with Angela about these supply orders," I said with a wave, and I was out the door before the tears could fall.

**APOV**

I could not believe how my brother was acting. Our parents taught us to be respectful to those in authority, and Emmett's refusal to accept Edward as the project manager was causing problems for the team.

The team was confused as to whom to comply with. Should they listen to Edward, the project manager, or Emmett, the owner's son?

Even worse, Emmett was their eldest child, the man that would be the future CEO of MPS. Only four years remained before Emmett would take his rightful claim to the company.

_Oh, Anthony, where are you?_ _I know you're out there; perhaps closer than we think._

On the other hand, there was Edward. He was upset and I understood where he was coming from.

If the scope of the project kept changing, it could become unmanageable. Changes to the project scope were typically decided upon by both the project manager and sponsor through a formal process in which the sponsor would sign off on all agreed changes. If those lines of communication are broken by Emmett just accepting word-of-mouth changes from the sponsor, without keeping the project manager in the loop, then how would the rest of the team know what the sponsor really wanted?

Esme and Carlisle were right in their decision to make Edward the project manager. Emmett could not and would not be qualified to manage this project because he refused to relent any power, especially to two brainiacs like Edward and Bella. They represented everything that he hated—intelligence and hard work. Emmett got by on good looks and a prestigious family name.

After the meeting, everybody separated to begin work on each of their assigned tasks, whether it was on the site or in their suite.

Later in the evening, Carlisle and Esme had dinner with the team and they left straight for the airport to catch their flight.

The elevator ding and I walked towards my husband's suite. I needed to have a serious talk with him, my brother and his wife. I pushed open the door and found them huddled together deep in conversation. I couldn't make out most of what they were saying.

"What's going on?" I asked, trying to mask the suspicion in my voice.

"What are you talking about, babe?" Jasper questioned, flashing me a smile to pacify the tension in the room.

I dove right in, "Why don't you guys like Edward? He has done nothing to deserve the level of disrespect all three of you throw at him?"

Rosalie just rolled her eyes when I said this.

"I don't like that mom put him in charge of project for the Academy of the Arts. This is a big project and the only way I could show that I am ready to lead MPS, sis," Emmett offered.

"Why? He has the qualifications and experience…more than you and Jasper put together."

Emmett and Jasper laughed.

"_So_," Emmett said, "it comes down to blood. He _does not_ belong to this family; one of the four of us should have been appointed Project manager." I rolled my eyes as he said this.

"Emmett, when the sponsor came and made the changes to the scope, did you document it?"

"No," he answered blankly.

"Did they sign anything _at all_ stating this is what they agreed to?"

"No."

"What did you do?"

"Well, I listened to what they asked for and told them it could be done. I made them happy."

"Without checking any schedulers, planners, or estimators?"

"Uhh, yeah, I guess so. Where are you going with this, sis?" He kept calling me "sis," his childhood nickname for me, thinking he could soften me up.

"You are not ready to be the lead in this project," I coolly retorted, knowing it would piss him off.

"What? How can you say that about your own brother, Alice?" Rosalie sneered.

"Come on, Rose, neither of you guys are ready for a job like this—clearly—because when the sponsor came in, all protocol went out the window! I mean really! Can you guys get any more self-absorbed? Think about it…that's why mom and dad didn't put any of you in charge. If you cared about the company, you would try and help maintain the company's image, not bring it down."

I knew what this was all about.

It all came down to the money. It was the root of everything with Emmett, and he had sucked Rosalie, and eventually even Jasper, the love of my life, into it with him.

"The Masen's fortune that you all are running down—the money you eat, sleep, and breathe for—mark my words, you will never get it because the real heir is coming back sooner than you think."

"Alice, come on, stop it with that Anthony Masen shit. He's not coming back. It's been eighteen years. He's dead! I'm not going to sit by and waste four more years of my life waiting for the company that is rightfully mine!"

"That's enough, Emmett. I can't believe that you would wish our cousin dead for your own financial gain. And Jasper…" I started to cry. My own husband—so overcome with greed that I could hardly recognize him—I couldn't even speak to him, so I wiped my tears and turned to leave.

As I reached for the door, I spoke without turning to look at their faces. "I agree with the project manager, shape up or I'll help him ship you guys on the first flight back to Forks. As of today we are just co-workers. Please come find me outside of work when I have my husband, brother, and best friend back."

When I said that last part, I walked out the door with tears still welling in my eyes, hoping that I had left them shocked and disappointed with themselves.

I was crying into my hands, walking blindly to my suite, when I bumped into Edward.

"Alice?" Edward whispered. I looked into his green eyes, they only showed concerned.

I took a step back, muttering an apology, but he just grabbed me up into his arms and held me against his chest.

That's all it took and I was hugging him, crying. I cried because I couldn't understand how money that my aunt and uncle used to do good, was destroying my family ripping them apart before my very eyes and there was nothing I could do about it.

Clinging to him, I prayed that the heir to this money, my cousin Anthony would return.

"I hate for you to see me like this," I spoke in a low voice. He was my boss, after all. "I'm not usually such a basket case but I just got into it with my family…" I stopped before I said too much. The last thing the project manager needed was more Cullen family drama.

"Sorry, Alice, I'm sure that was hard to do. It's always hard to fight with family, especially when you love them so much."

I was still holding onto him. It felt nice…it felt familiar. Like hugging a person I knew but had never met. I spoke finally, "It's nothing." Wiping my face again with the back of my hand, I offered, "Do you want to go for a drink?"

"Sure why not, I don't think it's wise for me to go in there right now anyway," he said pointing down the hall towards the door to his suite. Still hugging me from the side, he led me to the elevator and towards the hotel bar.

We sat down at a window table where we started to talk.

The Caribbean breeze was warm, and I was reminded that this wasn't such a bad place to be. _I could be in Forks right now, the dead of winter_.

It was so easy to talk to Edward, he would listen and not judge me and he was not afraid to speak his mind just because I was a Cullen.

"So what is going on between you and your brother?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

"I don't know where to start."

"The best place is at the beginning."

So I launched into my story—the whole, long, arduous story.

"My aunt and uncle died when I was six years old. They lived in Chicago and operated their businesses from there. I had a cousin that I would talk to on the phone, but I never met him face to face. At least not that I remember."

"Why?" Edward asked, as he leaned in toward me, interested in my story.

"He was in a private school there for gifted children. He was brilliant, and that's why my aunt and uncle relocated to Chicago. They wanted him to have the best of everything. The last I remember of him, in pictures, was that his hair was dark brown, but my aunt had said that it was getting lighter, with each passing month. That's the only thing I really can remember about his looks. He even used to help me with my homework over the phone. He was a prodigy. A genius."

"But then everything changed when I was six. I'm sure you've heard or read this part of the story." Edward nodded, acknowledging that he knew this part, but that I should continue anyway.

"My aunt and uncle were murdered, my cousin went missing. My mom was devastated and my dad lost his best friend; they spent hundreds of thousands on advertisements pleading with people to call if they had any information on my cousin but nothing. They begged and offered money for the kidnapper to just drop him off in Forks, but still, nothing." My heart broke to remember Anthony that way, alone and scared, so young and helpless.

"We never received a ransom note or anything. The police suspected that he may have ran for safety and might still be alive. They never found his body, so we never gave up hope."

Edward just nodded, listening, taking in the information. Finally he responded, "What's the story with Emmett? Did the death of his aunt and uncle affect him at all?

"I'm not sure. I would say yes and no. Emmett was always selfish, from what I remember. He only thought of himself. If it couldn't benefit him then, it didn't make sense that he had you as a friend. Take for instance Rosalie. She was the prettiest girl and most unattainable girl on the campus. Emmett saw it as a challenge and after a few months Rosalie was his. Jasper was just an additional bonus. Being Rosalie's twin, Emmett needed to be nice to him, because Rose would not have stayed with someone that her brother did not approve of. I think at the end of everything, that Emmett bought their affections.

But, before Rose and Jasper came into the picture, Emmett's behaviour started to change, probably around the age of twelve. Like his birthday, for instance, each year the prices of his desired gifts would increase, and to please him, mom and dad would buy the gift. If they ever refused he would always throw a tantrum and guilt them into buying it. He knew about our aunt's and uncle's money and he wanted it. I should have known then that it would cause problems, but I didn't want to believe it.

When he graduated from high school, he could have gone to Maryland on a scholarship, but being Emmett, he didn't want to go because he thought that was beneath him. So, he guilt tripped our parents into paying for him to attend Oxford."

"So what about you growing up, didn't you want the money?" Edward asked.

"Nope, I wanted it gone. Mom and Dad weren't filty rich, but they weren't poor either. We had money, but not a half of what my aunt and uncle had. I liked nice things, but I worked during the summer and Christmas to purchase what I needed. I studied hard to get a scholarship to study design in Paris and eventually I met and married Jasper."

Edward cocked an eyebrow. "Married? To Jasper Hale? Why didn't I know this?"

"Mom and dad only agreed to allow us all to work on this project if we agreed to keep our relationships private. They refuse to give us special treatment, like having our own personal suites, because we are their children." I shrugged, it seemed reasonable to me, though Emmett and Rosalie had a hard time accepting it.

"Relationships?" Edward asked.

He didn't know about Emmett and Rosalie either. I figured I might as well get it over with. I told him how the two of them and Jasper and I had married a few months before the project began.

"I'm slow today. Sorry. I heard you mention Rose earlier but…" Edward trailed off, tapping his chin deep in thought. "Well, that's an interesting development. I understand Rosalie's allegiance to Emmett a little better now that I know they are more than just old schoolmates. She has a stake in the money as well."

"Yes, and Jasper, he wants me to inherit my share and make him filthy rich too.

Jasper wasn't always like that you know. He was sweet and loving guy. Because Emmett married Rose, Jasper would hang out a lot with Emmett and Rose. After a while, Em and Rose talking about the amount of money he would be entitled to was just better than loving me. They're all in on it together, but they'll just have to wait."

"I don't mean to be nosy, but wait for what?" There was no harm in telling Edward the truth.

"My cousin, Anthony—if he's still out there somewhere—has until the age of twenty-eight to come forward and claim the company. That's four years from now. If Anthony doesn't step forward before then, Emmett and I inherit the Masen assets."

Edward was silent for a long moment. "The Masens, I hear and read that they were great people."

It seemed more like a question than a statement. I didn't mind telling him all about my aunt and uncle. I loved for people to know about them, especially people who now worked for their company.

Sharing their story was my way of honoring their memory.

"Of course they were great people!" I couldn't help but smile at my own enthusiasm.

"They were always carefree, compassionate, and full of love just like my mom. They never let their wealth define them—their bank accounts may have gotten fatter but that was always balanced by the money they donated to charities. Even now, years after they died, their money still goes to their favourite charities. They made sure of that in their will." I continued on about Ed and Liz Masen, while Edward sat silently with his hands folded on the table in front of him. At one point I was sure I saw a single tear fall from his eye, but it was too dark in the hotel bar for me to be sure.

Eventually I ran out of stories about the Masens and a silence fell between us. Edward seemed touched by my memories of my aunt and uncle. Through the darkness, I peered into his wild green eyes. You didn't see eyes like his very often. My own eyes swept over his tousled bronze hair. Such an interesting shade of brown; so familiar. His taught jaw reminded me so much of someone I used to know—just bigger now.

I filled the silence with questions, as was my gift. "So what about you Edward, what can you tell me about yourself?"

He looked uneasy as he started to speak, "Well, you know about the orphanage…"

"Yes. You're an orphan. Do you remember your parent's name?"

"I do remember them…in nightmares. Can we talk about anything else but that?"

He was being so elusive. Nightmares?

Was he trying to tell me something without actually saying it out loud? I decided to change the subject as he requested.

"Anything else?" I asked.

"Yes, Anything else."

I smirked. "What's going on between you and Bella?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "What you mean?"

"You refuse to look in her direction during the meeting. Something happened between the two of you."

"Dammit, Alice, what are you—psychic or something?' he asked with a playful smile.

"Yes. I made a…mistake. I kissed her. Well, more like..." he trailed off, searching for the right words to say.

"Attacked?" I laughed at his facial expression.

"Yeah, attacked." He smirked at me.

"So, you didn't want to kiss her or something?"

"Of course, I wanted to kiss her and much, much more. I feel this pull towards her, but I need to focus on completing this project."

"You know you can have both a career and a love life, Edward."

His mouth turned up in the silliest little crooked grin. Such a familiar grin. "Yeah, Alice, that whole career and love life thing is working out just perfectly for you, isn't it?"

I reached across the table and jokingly smacked his arm. "This is just a little bump in the road for Jasper and I. He'll come around. I know he will."

"How do you know, Alice? How can you be so sure of such things?"

"I'm psychic, remember?" I joked and we both laughed. "Anyway, how did Bella take the kiss?"

"Not sure," he said with the shrug of his shoulders, "After the meeting, I apologized and told her that we needed to keep it professional. We have too much riding on this project, you know?"

I nodded. "Very sensible of you, Edward."

"That's me. Sensible, logical, Edward. But sometimes…sometimes I just want to follow my heart. Alice, would it be too early for me to say that I could see myself with her?"

"No, I was the same way when I met Jasper; I knew instantly that he was the one for me."

"I'm worried that if it ends badly, it might affect the project."

"Do you want it to end?"

"No, of course not. Bella's the kind of woman I could spend the rest of my life with…but my past is dangerous and I can't allow myself to get close to her." He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. A nervous habit that someone I used to know also had as a child.

This was my chance. I had to find out for sure. "Dangerous how?"

"It's nothing really, Alice. I can't talk about it."

I spoke slowly, meaningfully. "Tell me, Edward. Tell me why it's not safe for a woman to get involved with you. Tell me what you're running from."

Edward stood from the table, shaking his head no. With a small smile he pushed in his chair and spoke, "Thank you for the nice talk, Alice. Good night."

I sat for a long while at the table as I put the pieces together. The eyes, the hair, the jaw, the grin, the nervous habits. Edward. Chicago. Orphan. Anthony. Chicago. Genius. Chicago.

_It couldn't be, could it?_

**Mystery POV**

I waited impatiently as the phone rang.

Finally, someone answered, "Hello."

"Are you still in the air?" I asked.

"Yes, dear," the warm voice—I already missed—responded.

"Check your e-mail, I need you to research someone for me," I spoke hurriedly, the worry thick in my voice.

"Not a problem. Can't you just tell me who it is over the phone?"

"No," I whispered, "just check your e-mail."

"Okay. Okay. What has gotten into you lately…"

I interrupted. There was no time for this. "We have another problem."

"What is it?"

"Emmett. He is out of control. And he's dragging Rosalie and Jasper in too. They won't listen to reason!"

A laugh on the other end of the line meant that they wasn't too concerned. "Hmm, I know. Deal with him as you see fit."

I ended the call with a huff.

_That was no help._

**End of Mystery POV**

**Esme Pov**

"Carlisle!" I gasped his name like it was my last breath before drowning. "Read this," I said, the shock too strong to explain it myself.

He picked the laptop up from the tray table, moving it to his lap as he read.

He turned to me with wonder in his eyes. There were tears in my own.

"Could it be, Carlisle? Could it _really_ be?"

Carlisle summoned the flight attendant with the wave of his hand.

"Mr. Cullen, Sir?"

"Miss, tell the pilot to turn around—reroute to Chicago."

**Em POV**

"Did my sister just…" I asked Rosalie and Jasper.

"Yes, man, I have never seen my wife so angry," Jasper answered my half-question.

"Should we go and talk to her," Rosalie said.

"No, we need to give her space right now. She'll cool off." I knew my sister. She was a fireball when she was pissed, but she always came around because she loved her family more than anything. Even money. We were so different. I often found it hard to believe we came from the same womb.

"I can't believe she choose that nerd over us," Jasper seethed, punching his fist into his open palm.

Maybe she was right, this money was destroying us.

After we got the money, I'd work hard to put us all back together, but right now, I had to keep my eyes on the prize-more than two hundred Billion dollar prize.

"Jasper, Rose, I have a plan…"

**Second Mystery POV**

"Hello, I believe I've found Masen heir, as you suspected. He's here."

"How can you be sure?"

"I overheard a conversation he had with the Cullen girl, and he fits the description. How shall we proceed? Should I kill him?"

"NO! His parents did not sign over the money; we need him alive to sign it over to us. It is still in the hands of Esme and Carlisle. If Masen shows up dead everything will be left to the Cullen children."

"What will you have me do?"

"Sit tight, gather information and get close to him."

"Okay."

"Don't blow your cover, be the perfect team member."

"Okay."

"And don't call me again. I'll call you"

I hung up the phone and smiled. Opening the desk drawer, I pulled out a crumpled piece of paper that was past on to me. The edges were yellowed from time.

My eyes grazed the page. It said:

Elizabeth Masen – Terminated

Edward Masen – Terminated

Kate Robin – Terminated

Edward Anthony Masen – Active"

_Three dead, one to go._


	8. Chapter 8

Penname: RI40

Story Title: The Team that's built on lies.

Rating *NC-17

Characters: Edward*Bella

Genre: Mystery/Drama

Summary: Rigid Bella gets her dream job as Planning and Quality Officer, selected for a two year project in the Caribbean. Enter a shy, stuttering, green-eyed, handsome Edward, with a dangerous past and you have a project disaster. Will Edward make Bella forget all her rules when it comes to work and play? Or, will one of them end up dead before they get a chance to explore the possibilities of a relationship._One month later… February_

**EPOV**

My heart to heart with Alice a month ago was necessary. I talked about my life without telling her anything that would give away my secret, and she understood. She hardly ever pressed for details anymore. Since our talk, we had been inseparable. She was, for the most part, estranged from her husband, brother, and best friend. I was doing my best to avoid Bella outside of whatever contact was required for the project. So in our mutual isolation, Alice and I leaned on each other.

Alice told me all the time, I just needed to talk to Bella. I needed to figure out my feelings for her. A month later, I still had not talked to Bella. So Alice, being Alice, slapped me in the back of the head and said she didn't think I would take a month and that I had until the end of the day to talk to her or she'd do it for me.

Alice and Jasper hadn't spoken, except for work-related conversations, since the big uproar. Emmett had tried many times to apologize to her, but she just refused to accept it. She didn't believe that he was ready to change, and I believed her. Jasper and Emmett had yet to apologize to me. I did, however, receive an apology from the person I least expected it from and that was Rosalie.

The project was well on its way as the group worked together, completing the task well within time. During the month, the teams changed as they completed their tasks. Everybody was given the chance to show their leadership skills. Rosalie, Sam, Seth and Jacob were good leaders—motivating the constructing and machinery team to work on Saturdays and Sundays. Rosalie could fix anything on wheels. Leah and Alice were the easiest to work with; they knew their jobs and did them well. Aside from the fact that Tanya, Jessica, and Lauren tried to seduce anyone with a dick—which they were quite successful at, and had made their way around most of the male team members—their work was outstanding.

Alice, Rosalie, Angela, Bella and I made a good team. We worked exceptionally well together, especially Bella and I. I don't think Carlisle and Esme could have picked a better person to be the Project Assistant Manager. If there were ever a problem with the team members, Bella would solve it before it ever reached me. I couldn't help but think that since we made such a great team in work, then surely we'd make a great team in life. Every night when I lay my head down for bed, I imagined a life with Bella. I thought of her beautiful chestnut hair covered by a white veil. I saw her on the porch of a beautiful two-storey home in the suburbs. I felt the weight of her perfect body on top of mine. And sometimes—not always—but sometimes, the nightmares weren't as bad.

I shook my head, trying to remove the images of Bella's beautiful naked body.

_Work, Edward, focus._

I allowed myself to think of her this way only at night. But I wound up breaking the rules…a lot.

Ben, Eric, Tyler, Mike, Emmett and Jasper quickly got into a groove of communicating and updating the online system; which allowed them to work from within their hotel suites, despite Emmett's and Jasper's attitude, they got the job done. They had been quiet lately. No fussing with contractors or sponsors. No calling me out in front of the whole team. I often wondered what they had up their sleeves. It was like the calm before the storm; surely they hadn't given up so easily.

My thoughts returned to Bella. The truth was that I simply did not know what to say to her. The month that had passed was hard. The electricity between us just intensified as each day went by with so much unsaid. I still did not know what to do about it. One minute I wanted to jump her and fuck her senselessly, and the next I wanted to run and hide. The feeling was so strong that I knew she could feel it too. Even before she entered the room, I would know that she was coming—the atmosphere would change. It was like we were on the same wavelength, so attuned to each other. I needed to speak to her, and soon, before Alice interfered.

Alice informed me that Bella had gone in to the office to complete the changes I made to the plans. Today was Sunday and all the workers had the day off, but the words "day" and "off" were not in Bella's dictionary; she was so driven. I feared that a relationship with me would tarnish her reputation. The world would think that she earned her position by sleeping with the boss and not by working hard. This was only part of the fear that kept me away from her. I was even more concerned for her safety.

I reasoned that this was the right time to talk to Bella.

_Best place to talk, no one at the office, she can scream at me all she wants. _

Knocking on the office door, there was no answer so I entered.

Bella's back was towards the door, bend over the desk in a short denim skirt, black knee high boots and black shirt with her iPod in her ears, making changes to the plans. _Stay focused_, I scolded myself, as in my mind, I had already come up behind Bella and pressed her ass tightly against my groin.

I tapped her lightly on her shoulder, and she jumped up, hitting me in my chin, sending both of us to the ground…Bella on top of me.

We stared at each other for a while, until she jumped up apologizing profusely for her clumsiness.

"It is okay, Bella. No blood, no foul," I told her. I was grateful actually, that it had happened, that I was able to experience her body on top of mine for just an instant. I tried to hide my excitement as I replayed the moment in my mind. "What are you doing here? I thought I gave you guys the day off?"

"Just making the changes to the plans that you requested."

"Bella, you did not need to do it on your day off. It could have waited until Monday," I said, stepping closer to Bella, breathing in her scent.

"I know but I didn't have anything to do, and I've pretty much finished it. Look here," she said pointing to the plans. "You'll see the changes."

She bent over the desk again and I looked over her shoulder, leaning over her body to view the changes. Being so close to her was causing a lot of ungentlemanly things to run through my brain. I tried to concentrate on the pencil marks she was pointing out, but all I could think about was running my hand up that skirt, and feeling the soft flesh of her ass beneath my palm.

"So, I moved the stairs…" she was speaking, but I could hardly make sense of the words. I stopped her, unable to bear the tension between us any longer.

"Bella, I am trying my best to be a gentleman around you, but you're making it very difficult," I said in a whisper directly in her ear. She turned her face to meet mine, both of us still bent over the desk. Her eyes were wide and wild. She swallowed hard and licked her lips.

"Then don't try. I need you," she said in a lust-filled voice.

Not wasting any time, I swooped down and attacked her lips as we fought for dominance. Taking hold of her ass, finally cupping it in my hands, I turned us around so I was sitting on the edge of the desk, with her straddling me. Pressing her into my cock, my hands started to explore her luscious body, palming her breast through her clothes. As I did this, she arched her back and pushed her breast further into my hand.

"Edward, please, I need you, all of you." I lost all control the moment she said it.

Ripping open her shirt, I pulled down her bra and latched my mouth on to her right nipple, while rolling, pinching and pulling her left nipple between my fingers. This caused her to moan my name out loud.

My cock was rock hard and I needed a release soon.

In one swift motion, I raised her off my lap with and used my other hand to pull off her blue thong. She leaned back on my lap and she looked breathtaking in her short denim skirt, torn shirt showing her beautiful tits spilling over her bra. I pulled her close to me and brought my mouth onto her neck and started to trail kisses along her collarbone then down to her breast.

"Bella, love, I can't wait any longer. I need you now," I surprised myself calling her "love." It just came so naturally, so easily from my lips.

"Then take me," she panted.

Picking her up off my lap, I spun around and sat her on the desk while I quickly unbuckled and slid my pants and boxers down to my ankles. Bella watched me with that same wild look in her eyes, as she saw my bare lower body for the first time. A month of sexual tension was about to be resolved, and the air around us was thick with anticipation. I sat myself next to Bella on the edge of the desk, and reached around her body to lead her back on top of me, while she worked on unbuttoning my shirt. Her eyes showed an emotion that I could not understand. There was lust there, but something else as well. Was it love? While I was lost in her chocolate brown eyes, trying to discern the secrets she kept there, she rose up and guided my penis to her entrance.

"Bella, wait, we need to talk!" I blurted out of nowhere.

_What are you doing, you idiot. Don't stop!_

I screamed at myself. I could feel the wetness that awaited me inside her, as my cock rested just on the cusp of ecstasy.

"Now? Now you want to talk, Edward! If you tell me this is a mistake, I swear to God, I will choke you."

I laughed a little, but Bella's face remained serious. "No, no, no. I just want you to know if we do this, if we take this step, it changes everything between us."

Instead of replying, she impaled herself onto my cock. The force of it caused me to throw my head back and shudder. "Fuck," I couldn't help but yell, as she held onto my shoulders and started to move up and down.

_God, she feels so good._

I didn't even have to decide to make my thoughts known. They just flowed naturally from my mouth. Or maybe from somewhere deeper. Maybe from my heart. "Oh, God, love, you feel so good."

"Edward, I love how you feel inside me," she admitted sheepishly, as she rode against me.

"I love the way you ride my cock," I didn't think that she could blush any more, but she did after my statement, so I continued. "Just like that, love. Don't stop"

"Oh, God, Edward," she moaned, as she continued to rock. I held onto her ass and gladly met her thrust for thrust. Sucking and biting each of her nipples, I felt her starting to pulse around my cock and I knew that she was close. Turning us around, I placed her back on the desk and started to pound into her over and over as I whispered dirty things into her ear about how tight her pussy was and how good it felt on my cock.

Reaching our orgasms at the same time, I had to try hard to keep my feet firmly planted on the ground. I couldn't help but yell, "Fuck, Bella" over and over as she, too, screamed my name. Coming down from our high, I felt like I was on cloud nine, but that feeling did not last long.

"The doors in this century were made to lock," a voice called from across the room.

Jumping off Bella, I tried to shield her from the intruder. We were both speechless as we turned to see the person by the door and the smug smile on their face.


	9. Chapter 9

Penname: RI40

Story Title: The Team that's built on lies.

Rating *NC-17

Characters: Edward*Bella

Genre: Mystery/Drama

**Summary:** Rigid Bella gets her dream job as Planning and Quality Officer, selected for a two year project in the Caribbean. Enter a shy, stuttering, green-eyed, handsome Edward, with a dangerous past and you have a project disaster. Will Edward make Bella forget all her rules when it comes to work and play? Or, will one of them end up dead before they get a chance to explore the possibilities of a relationship.

_February… _

**A POV**

I informed Edward that Bella was at the office and that he needed to have that talk with her that he had been putting off for over a month. He just needed a little push, so I gave him an ultimatum. _Talk to her by this evening or I'll do it for you, Edward._ He loved her; he didn't know it himself, but it became more and more apparent to me over time. The look on Edward's face when I told him Bella was alone in the office said it all—one blush by Bella and I had a feeling they may be doing more than talking.

Being the little psychic that I am, something told me that Bella might need a shirt, so I waited for an hour then made my way down to the office.

When I reached for the door, I heard Edward shouting out, "Fuck, Bella," and Bella chanting Edward's name over and over.

_I should have waited an hour and fifteen minutes, but then it would have been too late. Jasper, Emmett and Rose suppose to be coming to the construction site at any minute now, and I didn't want them to find Edward and Bella in this situation._

I turned the door knob just to see, if they actually locked it before they had their little fun. _Just as expected, it was unlock. _

I decided to have some fun with them.

"The doors in this century were made to lock," I said in a deep voice that was not my own.

The looks on their faces were priceless. Edward jumped in front of Bella, to block her body from the intruder. His pants were still at his ankles, thus causing him to fall face down on the ground.

_This is what happens when two geeks/geniuses get together._

Ignoring Edward on the floor, I walked over to Bella, who was trying to cover her upper body with her ripped top.

_Damn,_ _what the hell did Edward do to her? _

_They must have had a good time. _

I handed Bella a bag with a change of clothes in it.

"I had a feeling you would need this," I said.

_3…2…1…_

And, as if on cue, her face went crimson. _If that didn't happen, she wouldn't be Bella_. Edward got up off the ground as he fixed his pants, blushing as well.

"Since you are done with your daily exercise, I would like to take you guys to a late lunch. You must be famished with that work out you just completed," I said, with a mischievous smile.

They shared a glance between each other, clearly not ready to cut their time together short. Normally I didn't have such terrible timing, but this was the first day the whole team had had off since the project began and the fact that Emmett, Rose and Jasper would be busy conspiring and heading this way any minute now. This meeting couldn't wait any longer.

"It's about business…" I added.

"Okay," they said together reluctantly.

The walk to TGIF's was a quiet one, as no one wanted to start a conversation on the road. _I think they were ashamed of what I walked in on._ Nothing to be ashamed of, I wanted to tell them, but refrained for the time being. Reaching TGIF's, I asked for seating for four.

"Alice? Bella, you, and I equal three not four. Did walking in on our activities traumatize you that much that you can't count?" Edward teased as he got his confidence back.

"I invited Angela, Edward," I answered sticking out my tongue like a four-year-old.

"Oh," he replied, looking slightly irritated. I gave him a glance to let him know it was okay, Angela was on our side.

As we made our way to our table, following behind the hostess, I decided to have a personal chat with them before Angela joined us.

Looking at Edward, I curiously asked, "Did you two actually get any talking done yet?"

Bella shook her head, blushing and trying to avoid eye contact with me, while Edward spoke aloud, "No."

"Well, you guys need to have a serious talk. Talk first, sex later, but I want to say something to both of you."

"What?" they inquired, suddenly very scared. Worried I might tell my parents about their less than professional relationship, I would have bet.

"The connection you two share is very rare, so please don't let your work stop you from having a relationship. I just ask that you keep it professional, and I will have no need to discuss your personal lives with anyone else, namely my parents," I noticed Bella breathe a sigh of relief and Edward smiled a little. It was nice to be treated as a friend by these two, as an equal, and not just as the bosses' spoiled, rich little brat of a daughter. I cleared my throat suggestively, "Professional means no more sex on the desk. Please, bleach the desk on Monday," I finished my plea with a smile.

"Thank you, Alice," Bella said while rolling her eyes, "we'll take that into consideration next time we…uhh, talk…in a public place."

_Ha, they can't keep their hands off each other!_

"Hey, guys," Angela chirped as she took a seat in the empty chair at our table.

"Hey," we all said at the same time.

"Okay, so let get down to business. I asked you all to lunch to discuss the problem with Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper," I informed them.

"You know Rosalie apologized, but go on," Edward said, as he arched his eyebrow.

"I know she did, but I am not sure if we should trust her…I feel like she may have apologized in an attempt to throw off suspicion. It might be part of a plan."

"A plan?" Bella asked. "They're planning something against us?"

"I can't be sure what it is or when it will come to fruition, but I know my brother, and he always has a plan. I have a bad feeling that things may get worse before they get better," I said looking at each of them intently.

"Why?" Angela and Bella said at the same time, looking very worried.

I went on to inform them of what I told Edward a month ago, about the Masen money, and Angela then educated me about what she overheard the day we all were chosen to come to Trinidad.

Edward joined in, saying that ever since Tanya came onto him in the stairwell and he rejected her, she seemed to have been warming up to Emmett. He was afraid she might be part of their plan, if they did indeed have a plan. _Damn this team was falling apart faster that a failed magic show_. Something needed to be done, but what?

Angela immediately stirred us out of our daydreams as she shouted, "I've got the solution."

"Solution to what, Angela?" I asked.

"To Emmett and Jasper, Rosalie and Tanya, we could hide cameras throughout the office, maybe even in each suite in the living room and kitchen. It's the best way to find out if Jasper and Emmett are planning anything, if Tanya is involved, and if Rosalie is trustworthy. What do you guys think?"

"That's a terrific idea, Angela," Edward said. "But, first Alice will need to inform Carlisle and Esme of our suspicions and of what we plan to do. We also need to seek their approval."

"Leave that to me, Edward, I already spoke to Esme about Emmett, so I will notify her of our plans. She gave me her permission to deal with the matter as I see fit. Esme already has her suspicions about Tanya, especially after her show during her introduction in the diner back in Forks. I will just notify her that she found a new target and who."

It broke my heart to have to go against my brother and husband, but I knew they were wrong. I had to be true to myself and do what I knew was right. "We need to stick together, guys. Emmett and Jasper will not get their way. Yes, they are my family, but there is no way I'm letting them ruin my aunt and uncle's company." I finished my speech with a pointed look in Edward's direction. He looked away, refusing to meet my gaze. Inwardly, I smirked.

_I know you, Edward, better than you think._

After discussing work, we ate lunch and chatted casually. Watching Bella interact with Edward, I came to the realization that Bella might just have been as attracted to Edward as he was to her.

_I think she may even be in love with him._

Both Angela and I walked back to the hotel deep in quiet conversation about our plans, but were interrupted by my phone ringing. The caller ID read "Mom," and a nervous excitement coursed through me, as it had every time she had called since she left Trinidad a month ago. Mom and Dad had been in and out of Chicago for weeks, working with private detectives and following every lead personally. _Finally_, I hoped, _they may have some good news_.

"Sorry, Angela, I need to take this. I'll meet you back in the suite."

"Sure, bye," Angela said with a smile as she turned to go. I waited for her to jump in the open elevator before I answered the phone.

"Mom?"

"Hello, dear. We've got the information. It was difficult, but we finally got it!" She was ecstatic; I could hear the joy in her voice.

"So, was I right?" I closed my eyes, hoping for the words I wanted to hear so badly.

"One hundred percent!" _My prayers have been answered._

"So, what are we going to do?" I felt like jumping up and down or dancing or running a marathon. _It's really him._

"We'll visit in June, as planned. Of course, if any problems arise, we'll come before then. Alice, do you think he knows?" There was still joy in her voice but also confusion.

"Yes, but I don't think he knows who to trust. He'll come around. I hope. He has asked a lot of questions about the family." I looked around to make sure none of the team members were within earshot. The hotel lobby was mostly empty. I continued, "Mom, I think he is running from something, but what or who I don't know."

"We'll give him time to come forward. If he doesn't step up before June, then we'll confront him. I can't wait to see you both. Oh, yes and Emmett too," she added with a laugh.

I had almost forgotten that little issue. I explained to her our plan to catch Emmett and Jasper plotting and flesh out any conspirators.

"I know this must be hard for you, dear," Mom consoled me, "but don't let it get you down. Your cousin is alive, just as you always believed, and now more than ever, trust that it will all work out for the best."

It was true. Anthony had always been the missing piece in our lives. Once he fell into place, everything would work itself out. I had always believed it, and, in that moment, the belief that had taken root so many years ago finally bloomed into hope.

**BPOV**

After getting caught by Alice during our animalistic behaviour, I was so ashamed that I thought my face would never return to its normal colour. Alice did not dwell on what she saw, but just gave Edward and myself some advice. Alice, of all people, had to know a thing or two about interoffice relationships.

_Are Edward and I in a relationship?_

When Angela arrived, I tried to shake those thoughts from my mind and focus on the work-related conversation.

I tried to pay attention and offer input when appropriate, but I was distracted watching Edward and Alice. There seemed to be a silent communication going on between them. She would send a pointed glance in his direction and he would look away, or they would speak to each other like they were on exactly the same wavelength. I had noticed Alice and Edward had been spending a lot of time together, working on the interior design during the day and having hushed conversations in the hotel bar in the evening. I felt a twinge of jealousy over the connection they seemed to share.

Leaving Alice and Angela, Edward and I decided to take a walk and talk.

_How do I feel about Edward? _I asked myself.

"That's a question that only you can answer, Bella," Edward spoke.

"Huh, what are you talking about? What question…I answer…what?" I asked him with a very confused expression on my face. Edward stopped walking, held my shoulders and turned me to face him. He then proceeded to angle my head upwards to look him directly in his eyes. His emerald eyes melted me. My legs turned to jelly. I tried to stop myself. _You can't do this, _I thought.

_He is a distraction, Bella. _

_Business before pleasure. _

My old mantra was failing me.

_Too little, too late, Bella—you just had sex on his desk for crying out loud! _

I stared deeper into his eyes as I recalled the scene just hours before in the office.

_Great sex._

Edward smiled, his hands still gripping my shoulders, his face still holding my gaze. "Bella, it seems that your internal filter is broken, again," his crooked grin grew wider, "but it is more fun this way. It's a relief really, to be around someone who says exactly what they're really thinking."

I tried to smile in response, but I was mortified. I had no control around this man. "How you feel about me, Bella, is a question only you can answer. But, I will tell you this, I do have feelings for you, deep feelings, and I would like to see where this goes."

"Oh, o-ok," I managed to squeak out.

"I am falling for you hard and fast, Bella, and I would like to get to know you, all of you inside and out." _Oh. My. Gosh. Did he just say that?_

_Business before pleasure. _

_Business before pleasure. _

_Oh, fuck it! This is useless, I'm giving in. _

If he pushed things any further, I wouldn't stop him. He'd have to make the first move; I couldn't do anything but blush and duck my head down.

"Please don't hide your beautiful blush from me," he begged and tilted my head to face him again, but this time he pressed his lips softly against mine. The kiss did not last long, but the after-effects were that my body was on fire and my panties were wet. I didn't think anything could have been hotter than me at that moment—not molten lava, not the surface of the sun. I just melted on the pavement like chocolate during the height of the summer…_ Oh God…_

"So, Bella, I know we started backwards," he said, breaking the heated, silent stare between us, "but I would like to start again and do this properly by taking you on a date. You know, give us a chance to get to know each other," he invited, but all I could do was nod.

"Good, we can go tonight. How does that sound to you?" Again I could only nod my head; being so close to him was producing a change in me. I was normally so independent and self-sufficient, but in Edward's presence I could not speak, or think.

What could I do?

I felt like a baby—completely helpless and yet completely safe in his arms.

As he held me close to his body, he kept placing kisses on my temple. We walked through the hotel lobby, our bodies linked as one, in plain sight, yet I couldn't seem to care if anyone saw us. He led me up to my suite, and with a chaste kiss on my lips, he left me to relax and get dressed for dinner at seven o'clock. I shut the door to the suite and hurried to my room, where I promptly collapsed onto the bed, trying to make sense of the day's events.

**Tanya POV**

That whore.

I spotted Edward and Bella walking into the hotel, with Edward's hands around her waist. He kept kissing her. It pained me to see another woman with a man who had rejected me. Being rejected was something I'd never had to deal with before.

_Why couldn't that be me? What does she have that I don't? She is not even pretty! What does he see in her? _

Something about Edward Whitson screamed rich and royal and I intend to have him.

_Tanya Denali always gets her way. _

Isabella Swan was going down, I decided.

_She won't know what hit her._

_Tanya Denali always wins. ALWAYS. WINS._

**Emmett POV**

Sitting by the bar, I thought back through everything that had happened since I got here. Losing the Project Manager position. Alice cutting herself off from Jasper and me. The money that was rightfully mine slipping further and further from my grasp as time wore on. All my problems pointed to one person. Edward Whitson. He needed to go, and soon—he had caused enough trouble within my family.

In the heat of an argument, I had even accused Rose of only wanting me for my money. Now not just Alice, but Rosalie too, refused to speak to me. Why? Because I refused to apologize to the man that was crushing my dreams—_our dreams, Rose!_ I had told her. So many nights Rosalie and I had spent dreaming about our future, knowing that money was the key to it.

I refused to let him take over the company; it should be mine. I had tried to get Rose involved in the plan Jasper and I were cooking up, but she said that, for her, it was never about the money; she was only here because of what I wanted. I knew my sister was also upset, but she would come around, _right?_ How long could she really stay angry with me? She had never lasted long in the past and I hoped this time wouldn't be any different. Once the money was safely secured, everything else would fall into place.

I took stock of my priorities. What was most important at that moment? Five hundred billion dollars, or my family and wife? More money than I could ever make in my lifetime; my family would always forgive me after I had the money_?_

I had lost Rose in this fight, and Alice was never really in with me in the first place. Only Jasper said that he would be with me no matter what. My list of allies was growing short.

"Hello Emmett," Tanya, the slut, said.

"Hello Tanya," I replied, uncaring.

"Why do you look so down?" she hummed. I tried to ignore the seductive tone in her voice.

"I have problems like everyone else, Tanya," I said with a sneer, "please leave."

"Awe, there, there, Emmett, I could help you, you know," the slut replied.

I had a pretty good idea of how Tanya would be able to _help_ me. Even being estranged from my wife; that was not the kind of help I was interested in. "How?" I asked, my voice loaded with sarcasm.

"Well, we could team up. I want something, you want something. The best way to get it is by working together." _This slut could be the answer to my prayers._

"Exactly what is the _something_ you want, Tanya?"

"Edward," she purred his name with such lust and obsession. "You want him gone, right? And I want him in my bed. Then I want him ruined and humiliated." She smiled. The crazy slut smiled the most devious, encouraging smile. _This could work after all._

"What's your plan?" I asked, forgetting what a snaky slut she was and only seeing a potential accomplice.

"Sexual harassment, of course. Here's how we'll get the job done…" she said as she expounded on her plan. By the end of her story I was impressed. She wanted Edward, he wanted Bella, and she wanted to make sure that no one would have him once she was done with him, not even Masen's Project Solutions.

Operation Edward was going down.

_Emmett Cullen always wins. ALWAYS. WINS._


	10. Chapter 10

Penname: RI40

Story Title: The Team that's built on lies.

Rating *NC-17

Characters: Edward*Bella

Genre: Mystery/Drama

Summary: Rigid Bella gets her dream job as Planning and Quality Officer, selected for a two year project in the Caribbean. Enter a shy, stuttering, green-eyed, handsome Edward, with a dangerous past and you have a project disaster. Will Edward make Bella forget all her rules when it comes to work and play? Or, will one of them end up dead before they get a chance to explore the possibilities of a relationship.

**Chapter 10: Free yourself – Part 1**

_March _

**Edward**

Everyone went to Ruby Tuesdays for drinks—well…everyone minus Emmett, Jasper and Tanya. They were always by the hotel bar, huddled together talking in hushed tones—sometimes I swear they were planning the end of the world.

_But we all know better. _

_I would bet all my money in the bank that they were planning how to get back at me. _

Everyone was enjoying themselves. It was Friday, and we had the weekend off; no work to study. I had my Bella wrapped in my arms, hugging and kissing her all over her face, on her lips, and on her temple.

I was in love and I did not know how to tell her, yet. I was worried that it might be too soon.

But happiness was interrupted when Jacob decided to take trash talking and fun to the next level and started flirting with Alice. Don't get me wrong, I didn't mind that Jacob was flirting with her, but I didn't quite trust him just yet. I couldn't understand why he would leave his father's company, which he would soon inherit, and come to work his ass off at Masens instead.

I was starting to wonder if he was a spy.

I wasn't sure about him, and that meant that I did not want him getting close to Alice, because I considered her family.

_Little did they know. _

Alice was in a fragile state right now, with everything that was going on with Jasper. I did not want her to make a mistake that she would regret, especially since she was presently a little tipsy.

Alice shot down Jacob's attempts to flirt and started up a conversation with Mike and Jessica instead, but Jacob just wouldn't quit.

_Come on man—she is married. _

_Have some decorum about you._

"Jacob, you do know that Alice is married, right?" I asked with the raise of a brow

"Yes, but a little flirting never hurt anyone," he said with a grin while looking at Alice, who just shifted uncomfortably in her seat and looked away.

He was making her uncomfortable, and the other members in the group started to get agitated.

"Jacob, stop! We came here to enjoy ourselves. Please stop your advances against Alice, you are making her feel uncomfortable," I said angrily.

He just looked at me opening and closing his mouth several times, before he hung his head in shame and said, "Sorry man, I wasn't thinking." Then looking at Alice he said, "I am very sorry Alice, it won't happen again."

My little uproar caused Bella to tense at my side. "Edward, can I talk to you outside?" She asked calmly.

A little too calmly.

Recently her moods were constantly changing, and I was starting to wonder if I was interested in her more than she was in me. All in all it was difficult to keep up with her mood swings, and I was getting fed up with her bipolar behaviour.

"Sure, sure," I said with a sigh.

When we were outside and a good distance away from the others, she turned looking me in the eyes as she spoke. "What the hell was that inside?"

Shocked by her outburst, I shook my head to calm myself before answering her. "What are you talking about, love?"

"Don't 'love' me," she huffed, rolling her eyes and making air quotes with her fingers to exaggerate her point. "Do you like Alice?"

I opened and closed my mouth in shock, not sure how to answer that question. "What! No, Alice is like my little sister."

"I don't believe you. If she was like a sister, then what is it to you that Jacob is flirting with her?" She exploded with a scoff, her voice rising at the end of the sentence.

Looking around, I realised that her outburst had caused a few passersby to stop and stare. I hated being embarrassed, and that is exactly what she was doing to me. Reaching my wit's end with her, I unleashed all of my pent-up anger, frustration, and humiliation. "Bella do not speak to me in that tone. You need to calm down and then we'll talk. I am not a child, and furthermore nothing is going on between Alice and me." I closed my eyes and pinched my nose bridge in an attempt to calm myself down, immediately wishing that I had not raised my voice.

After a few seconds, it occurred to me that she had not replied. Opening my eyes, I saw her walking off toward the direction of the hotel.

_What the fuck just happened? _

I debated for a moment whether I should go after my future or my cousin. Deciding that family always came first, I needed to make sure Alice reached the hotel safely. I would just give Bella some time to calm down and then apologize to her.

**Alice POV**

Bella had been acting strange with Edward and me since the bar incident. But all Edward did was try to protect me from making a big mistake with Jacob…I was glad that someone was looking out for me.

I tried talking to her, but she wouldn't listen to me or even look in my direction. She only answered questions that were asked to her. It was like she was jealous of my relationship with Edward. I didn't understand why she felt the need to be jealous—I think of Edward as nothing more than a brother and he thinks of me as nothing more than a sister. But most importantly, Edward loves her and only her.

I was in charge of checking the video footage for any meetings between Tanya, Jasper and Emmett, but so far we had nothing. Every afternoon, Edward, Rose, Angela, and I would watch the video. The trio were very smart, only meeting at the hotel bar…but now we had another problem.

_Emmett was becoming an alcoholic. _

He frequently left work before the end of the day to take up his post, or second job, at the hotel bar and drink his sorrows away. Rose was worried about him; but after their fight, where he accused her of only wanting him for his money, she refused to talk to him. She said he needed to do this on his own.

Edward was getting frustrated with Emmett, because he did only what was assigned, he never tried to talk to any of the team members. He never asked if the member needed any help, and yet he wanted to be PM.

For fuck's sake, he was never around.

So, here I sat, watching a video from the boy's suite waiting for Rose and Angela to arrive when I saw…

_Shit…no it couldn't be._

_What did he do?….Rose is going to kill Emmett. _

**Edward POV**

I had not spoken to Bella since our last confrontation at the bar. I tried talking to her but she would either change the topic or avoid me, which was frustrating. I did not know what to do to prove to her that I had no feelings for Alice; we had the same blood running through our veins for god's sake. I even gave her my family necklace that was worth millions of dollars, if I loved Alice, wouldn't I have given it to her instead? This necklace was passed down for generations on my father's side. My mother placed it in my bag for me to give to that special someone, and I choose Bella—I know I told her it was not expensive, but that was only so she would take it.

The four of us went into my office to meet Alice and to go over the tapes. but instead, we were met with Alice at the door, who told us that she already viewed the tapes and that there was nothing on them.

_Strange. _

_I'll have to ask her about that later. _

Since Alice had already reviewed the tapes, the girls decided to take an early lunch and do some shopping. They said that Bella was craving macaroni pie, Spanish rice, potato salad, baked chicken, and Callaloo.

_Huh?_

I had a meeting to attend, so I couldn't accompany them on their little trip. I waited in the office until it was time to attend my two o'clock meeting with the sponsors. As I was getting ready to leave, the door opened and in walked Tanya.

_Oh lord, what does she want now?_

"How can I be of assistance to you Tanya, I hope it's work related?" I asked cautiously

She wore a shirt that was a size too small and a skirt so short that if she bent over, you could see what she ate for lunch. "Yes, how about you forget about 'plain Jane' and come with a real woman," Tanya purred seductively, or at least I think seductive was what she was going for.

_Oh God, please not today of all days._

"Tanya, I cannot deal with your issues today, I have a meeting that I need to leave for; now," I answered, frustrated.

_This girl is getting on my last nerve. How many times can I turn her down before she gets the hint?_

I passed Tanya and headed to the door where she attacked my neck with her mouth.

_Fuck…disgusting—why she can't just take a hint. _

I snapped and pushed Tanya a little too hard so that she landed on her butt on the ground.

_Shit Edward you need to control yourself. _

Pinching the bridge of my nose to calm myself down before I killed her, I spoke my next words very carefully.

"Tanya, this is the last time I am saying this to you. I am not interested, I love Bella. Get that through your thick skull and leave me the fuck alone," I said and then turned and walked out the door.

The meeting with the sponsors was long and exhausting and my earlier run in with Tanya certainly did not help. The sponsors tried their best to make changes that were not necessary and could not happen. I had to constantly remind them the changes would be costly because of how far along the team was on the project.

_I need Bella to calm me down._

**Bella POV**

I had been very insecure about the relationship that Alice had with Edward. I know he said that nothing was going on, but they were always talking, laughing, and hugging, and he was always defending her. They had a connection that I wished that we could have.

I was not speaking with Alice and Edward since the bar incident, but I was hungry and bitchy, and I was craving macaroni pie, Spanish rice, potato salad, baked chicken and Callaloo.

_What the hell? I guess I am becoming a local._

I also needed to go to the mall and Alice was that opportunity.

_It seems so mean to use her that way, but she took my man, so why the hell not?_

While Alice and Rose were shopping, I slipped away with Angela and we went into a jewellery store to get the necklace that Edward gave me appraised. While the jeweller took some pictures of the necklace I reminisced on the day that it was given to me.

_Flashback_

_It was the day after the carnival festivities and the release of all my sexual frustration in Edward's bathroom. After he told me that he wanted me forever, he led me to his room where he took his time caressing and drying every inch of my body. _

_I was fully naked in front of him. He eyes locked with mine and the emotion that could be seen was love; so much love that I wanted to cry right then and there. He proceeded to take an old book bag from under his bed and unlocked it, pulling out a beautiful thin white gold chain with a pendant that looked like the Masens logo. _

"_Bella, I want you to have this. I know it may be too soon, but this necklace has been passed down in my family for generations. It was given to me by my mother before she died to give to the woman that I chose to spend the rest of my life with. And I choose you"_

_By the time he finished his speech, I had tears running down my face. The necklace looked very expensive and I refused to take it. Edward informed me that it was not worth much, but some how I did not believe him. Finally, giving in he placed the necklace around my neck. The necklace was heavy. Not worth much my ass._

_He wiped my tears away with his thumb and made love to me throughout the rest of the night into the morning._

_End Flashback_

That was when things were still good. I gave the jeweler my email address so that he could send the information when he was finished. He insisted on keeping the necklace, but the voices in the back of my head said not to do it, so he settled on taking pictures.

I wondered if this piece of jewellery was more expensive than Edward had led me to believe.

_Why would he lie? _

_What do I really know about Edward Whitson?_

I made a mental list, surprised to realize that I really didn't know him that well at all.

_His family was murdered and I don't even know his mother and father's names._

_He has nightmares of their murder._

_He lived in an orphanage._

_He attended Maryland._

_He is twenty-four years old._

_His past working experience._

_And that's it. _

With the exception of his dreams, I knew the same things about Edward that the rest of the team knew about him.

_Basically, I knew nothing about him._

I needed to talk to Edward and get some more information about his past from him. I was excited that it gave me an excuse to see him, even through all my mood swings. I missed him, and we had not been spending time together because of the work load, and because of my jealousy and insecurity of his relationship with Alice. I really needed some alone time with him, to sort out all of this shit, but most importantly, I also needed to apologize.

**Alice POV**

We had a blast at the mall and the food that Bella was craving was delicious, but she was still distant from me.

_She is acting as if she's... nah._

When we reached the office, I was stopped by Jasper who informed me that Tanya was in the office on a conference call with Carlisle and he wanted to meet with both Edward and me.

_What the hell, since when Tanya is calling Carlisle?_

I called Edward who said he was walking into the site and would meet us in the office.

When I walked into the office, Tanya was seated on the PM chair with a smug smile on her face.

_What did the bitch do this time?_

Inside, both my and Edward's jaw dropped when Carlisle informed us of Tanya's accusations.

Carlisle then asked us to leave because he wanted to talk to Edward alone. I could not believe Tanya. I glared at her as we walked outside.

_If only she _w_ould drop dead. _

Something told me that she was not the only culprit in this fiasco. Outside I found Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and Jacob together talking about the project.

I walked up to Jasper and slapped him across the face as I launched into my tirade…

"How could you? What did Edward do to you to deserve such embarrassment?"

Holding his face he said, "Honey I don't know what…" But he didn't get to finish because I slapped him again

"You know exactly what. You and Emmett conspired with Tanya to get Edward fired on sexual harassment charges. Are you crazy? I am fed up with the two of you and I am fed up with this grudge you have against Edward," I shouted.

"I expected as much from you Emmett, but I expected better from you Jasper." Taking a deep breath I calmly said, "I am done, Jasper I am filing for a divorce."

Looking at Emmett, I said with as much menace as I could muster, "You better tell Rose what you did," I shot him a glare before I turned and walked back to the hotel bar to get a drink.

I heard someone gasp and a loud smack, but I did not care because the tears were threatening to fall at any moment.

**Edward POV**

Alice called and informed me that we had a meeting with Carlisle and Tanya.

_What the fuck?_

I walked onto the site and passed Emmett and Jasper who were both watching me with a smug smile. Flashing them a devilish grin of my own, I made my way into the office and took a seat beside Alice.

"What's going on here?" I address my question to Alice, who simply rolled her eyes and pointed to Tanya.

"Edward is that you?" Carlisle asked

"Yes it is Carlisle, what seems to be the problem"

"Edward and Alice, Tanya called me to inform me of her problem with Bella and Edward."

"What problem is that, Carlisle?" Alice sneered, glaring at Tanya.

"It seems that Tanya is filing sexual harassment charges against Edward. She said you came onto her in the office today." She also said, "Bella has a problem with her because you are interested in her and she is not as easy as Bella. Is that it Tanya?"

"Yes, Carlisle," Tanya purred.

"Carlisle this is ridiculous. Edward would not do such a thing," Alice said, her voice rising by the second

"Carlisle, Alice is right; it seems that Tanya has the situation mixed up. But to solve this problem, we could e-mail you the video footage from the office for today." When I said that, Tanya's jaw immediately dropped to the floor.

"Y-you h-have c-cameras in here?" she questioned.

"Yes we do Tanya," I replied flashing her the same devilish smile I had given Emmett and Jasper just minutes ago.

"Oh," was her only reply.

_Caught you bitch, _I thought as I gave Alice a high five.

"Alice, you can leave and Tanya, please wait outside, I would like to speak to Edward alone for a moment," Carlisle said. When the door was closed Carlisle started.

"Edward, what should we do with Tanya? She is very good at her job but, she loves to cause trouble," Carlisle said with a frustrated sigh.

"Carlisle I don't think we should send Tanya home just yet. I believe there are other players involved, and I would like to use Tanya as bait to catch them," I replied calmly.

"Do the other players involve happen to be Emmett and Jasper, Edward?" Carlisle asked angrily.

"I prefer not to say until I have evidence."

"Okay, deal with Tanya as you see fit. Please send me the footage."

"I'll have Alice send it before the day ends. Bye Carlisle"

"Bye Edward"

Leaving the office, I saw Tanya sitting on a chair outside the door. Shaking my head I started the conversation that I felt I might regret…

"Tanya what you did was inexcusable. You could have gotten me fired but, I guess that was your plan all along." She made an attempt to talk but I held my hand up signalling her to stop.

"I don't want apologies, they can't solve anything. This is your last chance Tanya, any slip in your work or problems with a team member and you are going home. Please leave my sight."

_I hope I don't regret this._

Looking at my watch I realised it was time to leave, so I headed outside where I was greeted by Rosalie punching Emmett.

_Ha! How I would love to do exactly what Rosalie just did. _

I walked into the hotel restaurant ready to text Bella so we could hash out our problems, but stopped when I saw Alice sitting by herself looking very sad. I decided to join her. Sliding in next to her, she held onto me and started to cry.

I rubbed circles on her back and tried to soothe her, but my comforting her was cut short when I saw Bella standing in the doorway with a hurt expression.

_Shit, can't anything go right today?_

"Alice, we need to go. Bella just saw us and she is indisputably thinking the worst," I said to her softly. She nodded and followed me to the elevator and up the stairs clinging onto me for dear life. Alice opened the door to the girl's suite and we were greeted with an angry, crying, and very emotional Bella.

"I am tired of asking if something is going on between you two…"

_God I guess nothing is going right today._


	11. Chapter 11

Penname: RI40

Story Title: The Team that's built on lies.

Rating *NC-17

Characters: Edward*Bella

Genre: Mystery/Drama

Summary: Rigid Bella gets her dream job as Planning and Quality Officer, selected for a two year project in the Caribbean. Enter a shy, stuttering, green-eyed, handsome Edward, with a dangerous past and you have a project disaster. Will Edward make Bella forget all her rules when it comes to work and play? Or, will one of them end up dead before they get a chance to explore the possibilities of a relationship.

**Chapter 11: Free yourself – Part 2  
**

**BPOV**

****I couldn't believe him. After all the talk that nothing was going on between Alice and him, there he was hugging and having dinner with her in the hotel restaurant.

I felt used—hurt—and I was livid that he would cheat. And right in front of my face. All the shit about giving the necklace to the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with…bullshit. He was probably telling Alice that same lie right now.

I ran up the stairs as fast as I could so no one would see me cry, pausing at the top only to catch my breath.

Why didn't I stick to my motto 'business before pleasure'. If I had, then I would not be heartbroken right now.

I needed to have a few words with Alice, but first I had to find the stupid necklace he gave me and tell him where to shove it.

I entered the suite and realized that Rosalie wasn't home yet, and Angela was probably with Ben. So, I sat in the living room alone—tears running down my face, necklace in hand—and awaited Alice's arrival.

Why? Because we needed to settle this now.

About fifteen minutes later, the door opened and Alice and Edward wandered in—his arm wrapped securely around her. I think that was the moment I snapped.

"I am tired of asking if something is going on between you two," I said and waved my between the both of them. "Edward, you always claim to be working, and we haven't spent any time together since the incident, yet you have time to take Alice to dinner. If it's Alice you want, then go ahead because I give up," I yelled at him at the top of my voice. I flung the necklace at him. He caught it with ease and looked down to see what I had thrown and frowned.

"Bella it's not what you think," Alice pleaded with me to understand, but I was beyond understanding. I was seething.

Not what I think? Fuck her.

"Save it Alice, I trusted you…" was all I got out my mouth, when Edward grabbed my hand and roughly pulled me into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. I was pushed against the door and he slapped his palm against the wood next to my head. He bent down until we were face to face—narrowed green eyes pinned me with intensity.

. "This evening, I spent two hours talking to Carlisle about the sexual harassment charges that Tanya filed against me, and the latter part of my night comforting Alice...who just asked Jasper for a divorce."

I gasped at all the new information and tried to ask if he and Alice were alright but he held his hand up interrupting me.

"On more than one occasion I've told you that I consider Alice nothing more than a sister, yet you've chosen to remain insecure. But, even if I did not consider Alice a sister, I still wouldn't feel anything toward her! You know why? Because, I am in love with someone else. I am in love with you."

Grasping my shoulders tightly he continued. "Fuck Bella, I don't know what is wrong with you and what to do with you anymore.

"Your incessant insecurity and probing of me, means that you don't trust me. But you know what hurts the most? I gave you my mother's necklace as a sign that I loved you, and you…threw it back into my face."

Suddenly he stopped speaking and a hurt look came over his face, as he said, "This is the only thing left to remind me of my family, and that how you treat it. How you treat me..."

Before he turned his back on me, I could clearly see defeat in every line of his face. One hand tugged at his hair and he took deep breaths to calm himself.

He spun back toward me again and moved to open the door, but his eyes wouldn't meet mine. "Your lack of trust in me and your disrespect towards my family possessions, means that we should not be together."

He silently walked through the door and slammed it behind him so hard the pictures fell from the wall with a crash. A chill spread through my limbs as I stood frozen, barely able to understand what just happened.

This time, I couldn't hold back the tears, and emotion overtook/overwhelmed me until I heard the door open. Alice. The worry and sadness was written all over her face. "Bella," she said softly.

Within a blink, all was forgotten and I clung to her, as everything poured out in a stutter of hiccups.

"What…did…I…do…Alice?" She gently rubbed my back, attempting to soothe me. And when she finally spoke, her words stopped my heart.

"Bella, are you pregnant?"

*****%%*****

**EmPOV**  
It was March and Rosie still wasn't speaking to me.  
So here I sat, at the hotel bar; drowning my sorrows in tequila, and nursing a black eye.

_Is it working? _

_Fuck no because I can remember both conversations with Rosie like yesterday…..every though one happened earlier today._

"_Emmett, I apologized to Edward. This vendetta that you have against him needs to stop," she pleaded._

"_Rose, I won't sit by and let him destroy my aunt's company," I said, for what seemed like the millionth time. _

"_No, Em, he really cares about the future of Masen's. If you would stop trying to bring him down and sit with him for one day, you would realize this," she said throwing her hands up in the air in frustration. I couldn't believe he had managed to put my wife under his spell too. _

"_Em, you are not ready, Alice was right, Edward was right, even your parents were right."_

"_Rose, I want the PM position. It's the only way to show my parents that I am ready to take over Masen's and for Esme to change the court order. I want that Fifty billion dollars Rose, and that boy is in my way," I said angrily. But instead of stopping there I had to continue. "Are you fucking him too Rose? Are you? I am not moving from this. Masen. Is. Mine. You are my wife and you'll do what I say, especially if you want any part of the money. You. Will. Know. Your. Place. What. I. Say. Goes." I shouted into her face. Almost immediately I felt a sting across my cheek and was surprised that she had fucking slapped me._

"_I cannot believe you just said those things to me. Every night you leave work early with Tanya and Jasper and not once have I asked if anything was going on between you and that slut. Why? _

_Because I trust you." _

"_I want the PM position Rose and he's in the way," I fumed _

"_Are you even hearing yourself? It's all about the money and who you can control! All the talk about what your aunt would want, but it's all about you. All you think about is the money and power, not once have you said anything about what is best for the company. I cannot believe that I am married to a greedy, egotistical bastard like you," she erupted, her face redder than a tomato, the only thing she was missing was the steam coming out of her ears. She was upset, I expected that, but I did not expect what she said next. "Emmett I am done with you. I hope you come to your senses before it is too late." Shaking her head, she shot me one last glare and turned and walked out the door. _

_I spent that night in the bar drowning my sorrows in tequila shots too, much like tonight. _

_Before long, Tanya joined me and we began discussing our plan—which was to be set in motion the next day—to get Edward. Once our plan was finalized, we both started doing shots. I lost count after seven, and the rest of the night was a blur of strawberry blonde and Jose Cuervo. _

_I am going to have the worst hangover._

_Uh, God I'm never drinking again, _I thought rolled over in my bed. I stopped when I collided with a body.

_Huh?_

_I don't know how much tequila I drank but, surely I would remember getting back together with Rosie. _

_Please, please, please tell me that the body at my side is Rose. _

I opened my eyes I looked down and saw strawberry blond hair…that is not Rose's hair color…so I did what any man would do in this situation. I screamed like a girl. My screaming brought Jasper running into the room, and Tanya to fall off the bed in shock.

"_What—what, what is the screaming about?" Jasper asked confused. _

"_I-I-I…" I started, but was interrupted by both Tanya getting up and by Jasper's shocked outburst._

"_What the fuck! You cheated on my sister, you idiot!" Jasper shouted. _

"_Jasper keep your voice down, Edward and the others are going to hear you." _

"_No one else is here, they all went to work. I am not going to tell Rosalie about this, but you will," he said as he turned his back and slammed the door._

_During the day I couldn't even make eye contact with Tanya or Rose. Tanya did exactly as we discussed and Jasper and I waited impatiently to reap the rewards of our scheme. Our excitement was short lived after Alice stormed out of the office, slapping Jasper and telling him she wanted a divorce. _

_Did not see that one coming._

"_What does Alice mean by 'tell Rosalie what you did'?" Rose asked hesitantly._

"_Uh…Rose, baby…uh...don't get angry…but…um….IsleptwithTanya." I finished the sentence in a rush and hung my head in shame._

The last thing I remembered was Rosalie's fist connecting to my face and then everything went black.

But instead of worrying about how Rosie might want a divorce, I am worried about the fact that my scheme did not work.

What do I do next?

I have to hit Edward where it hurts the most…Isabella Swan


	12. Chapter 12

Penname: RI40

Story Title: The Team that's built on lies.

Rating *NC-17

Characters: Edward*Bella

Genre: Mystery/Drama

Summary: Rigid Bella gets her dream job as Planning and Quality Officer, selected for a two year project in the Caribbean. Enter a shy, stuttering, green-eyed, handsome Edward, with a dangerous past and you have a project disaster. Will Edward make Bella forget all her rules when it comes to work and play? Or, will one of them end up dead before they get a chance to explore the possibilities of a relationship.

**Chapter 12**

**BPOV**

"_Bella are you pregnant?" _

_Then everything went black—I fainted. _

_I can't be pregnant; I'm on the pill...nope...not possible. _

_Think, Bella, think. When was the last time you had your period? Uh…shit… _

_How did I not notice this? I may be pregnant by a guy that just broke up with me. My mind was blank and I wasn't sure how much time passed. I simply cried as Alice held me. _

_That was one week ago._

"_Bella? Bella? Are you up? You need to get up, you need to eat something," Alice said shaking me. _

_I think I was starting to worry her. _

_Then the slap came, but I still didn't move or open my eyes. _

"_Rosalie! Angela!" Alice shouted. _

"_What? What's wrong?" Rosalie asked, her voice worried._

"_Bella?" I heard Angela call sounding equally concerned._

"_She needs to get up and eat, it's close to lunch time," Alice said._

This prompted Angela to ask why I had been acting so strange for the past week. So, Alice launched into the story about how Edward and I had an argument that caused us to break up, thankfully leaving out the part that I could be pregnant by said ex.

"_Alice, she's probably just tired, we have been working so hard recently. Leave her, let her sleep," Angela said._

"_Fine," Alice said walking out the door._

Yep, that was two weeks ago and I still had not taken the stupid pregnancy test.

_I lived in denial. _

At work I was a shell of myself, only answering and speaking when someone asked me a question directly. I mostly worked with Leah, Jessica, and Lauren so that I wasn't being bombarded with questions from Alice, about whether or not I had taken the test yet and why the hell I was waiting so long.

When work finished, I went to the suite and slept the rest of the day.

Edward tried to talk to me at work a few times, but I just kept my head down and asked if it was work related. If it wasn't, I left him standing on the spot.

At the suite I now called home, Alice finally got fed up with me staring off into space and demanded that I take the bloody test. She threw six different types of pregnancy tests on the bed and then told me to be dressed and ready to go to lunch in an hour.

After taking the tests—all six might I add—I glanced nervously at the results before walking out the door in the outfit that Alice had laid out for me.

"Bella, you need to stop, snap out of it," Alice said in a worried voice.

During my catatonic state Alice gave up and told Angela and Rosalie that I may be pregnant.

"What did the test say Bella?" Angela and Rosalie asked at the same time.

I remembered mumbling to the girls before I broke down crying, but it was cut short by an earsplitting scream from behind me.

**Tanya POV**

I couldn't believe what I was hearing coming out of that slut's mouth. After all of my hard work to be good, thinking that he would notice me…Did he? No.

When I heard her, I snapped...I saw red. I didn't even realize I was attacking her and screaming over and over.

"WHAT?"

**BPOV**

Turning around, I saw Tanya, red with anger, and next to her were Jessica and Lauren staring in shock as if she had just grown three heads.

"What? I cannot believe _you_. That was supposed to be me, not you. You are messing up everything."

Before I knew what was happening, I was on the ground with Tanya on top of me and her hands around my neck.

Before everything went black, the last thing I remembered was Rosalie dragging Tanya by the hair and punching her repeatedly. Alice and Angela were both trying to hold back Rosalie, while Jessica and Lauren were still frozen in their spots with their jaws on the floor.

**EPOV**

It was simple—I missed her and I was miserable without her. I needed her to make me whole.  
I loved her.

No, not past tense. I still do.

I want her, and no one else.

I was going to get her to talk to me and we would make things right.

I knew it was probably too soon but you can't help when you fall in love with someone. I could remember my mom telling me stories of how she and my father had only known each other for two months before getting married, and before they died I hardly ever heard them quarrel. It didn't matter how long they had known each other, they were perfect together.

I was considering proposing to Bella, but first I needed my mom's ring that I was sure my aunt had. I knew though, that in order to get the ring, I would need to tell the family the truth.

I also needed to tell Bella the truth, but how could I really tell her knowing that I already put her in danger just by being with her?

After two weeks, I was still drowning myself in work, which prompted Rosalie and Alice to worry.

I knew that Bella was doing the same. I tried to talk to her several times, but she wouldn't even look at me. I knew she was hurt, I could see it in her eyes. But something was also different, I just couldn't put my finger on it.

I sat in my office thinking about her and wondered what I could do to gain her trust me and make things right between us.

Alice. Of course she would help. I grabbed the phone to call her.

"Hello?" She answered, sounding worn out.

"Alice, is everything okay?" I asked.

"No. I am just coming from the hospital with Bella, and Angela just went to bail Rosalie out of jail"

"_What?_ What happened? Is Bella alright? Let me speak to her!"

"Calm down. Bella is fine, she's sleeping now. And to answer what happened, one word—Tanya."

After she was finished filling me in, I told her my plan to win my girl back. Alice said she would stop by the store to get me the necessary things to make the night a success.

"Okay, I'll be there in ten minutes," she said, before she hung up the phone.

Now I would just need to talk to the front desk, book a room and order room service.

I made the necessary arrangements to get the room with a Jacuzzi and a room service tray for Bella when she got up. I even ordered champagne. When I finished setting up the tray and food, I hurried back down stairs to await Alice's arrival.

Tanya. I knew I'd regret keeping her on the project. I didn't know what happened and as manager, I couldn't jump to conclusions. But I knew she was trouble and couldn't imagine what would have caused her to attack Bella.

Deep in thought, I was surprised to hear Alice's voice shouting my name as she shuffled toward me with her arms loaded down. She looked exhausted.

Once we managed to help Bella up to the room and make sure she was comfortable, Alice was kind enough to help set things up and clue me in to how Rosalie ended up in jail.

"Do you want the short or long version?" she asked as we lit the scented candles and placed petals around the room.

"Short, for now."

"Tanya overheard Bella say something she didn't like and got upset. She attacked her, and Rosalie jumped in to stop it. But I really think Rosalie punched Tanya because she slept with Emmett."

"What? Tanya slept with Emmett?"

How could Emmett do that to Rose?

"Where was I when all of this was going on?" I continued.

"In your catatonic state just like Bella" Alice replied laughing.

"So Alice, what did Bella say that caused Tanya to attack her?" I asked placing the champagne in the ice and some sandwiches at the side of the bed for when Bella woke up.

Alice looked at Bella on the bed champagne and simply shook her head. As she said, "She'll will have to tell you that herself Edward."

_That sounds bad._

"I know what's going through your head Edward, it isn't bad—well I guess it depends on how you look at it," she said, as she danced out the door, leaving me to wonder what the hell she meant. I didn't get to wonder long though as I was interrupted from my thoughts by Bella turning on the bed.

"Bella? Bella love you need to get up and eat something," I said, lightly shaking her.

"Where am I?" she asked groggily and looked utterly adorable in her confusion.

"I paid for a suite. I needed to talk to you."

"W-what, w-why, w-what... what did Alice tell you?"

"Nothing. Should Alice have said something to me Bella?"

"No, no. What did you want to talk to me about?" she asked in a soft voice.

Gulping, I started my confession and apology. "Bella…I miss you... so much," I said, giving her my full attention. I got lost instantly.

As I continued, she jumped in and started to apologize. "I missed you too, I'm so sorry for how I reacted to you and Alice. I should have known better…I should have trusted you."

"I jumped up and paced the room, not able to contain my nerves."

"That's the past, but please don't ever get jealous again, you have no reason to be. Bella, I love you, only you. I want to have a life with you, grow old with you, have kids with you, and I want to be your husband. I want you to be my wife. I want only you love."

I turned around when I heard her gasp. "Edward, are you asking me to marry you?"

"I still have to get the ring, it was my mother's and it's still in Chicago... but what the hell?" I said as I got down on one knee. Holding her hand, I looked deep into her eyes and all I could see was my future.

"Bella, love, I want you and only you. From the first day I met you I was drawn towards you. I have never felt this way in my life about anyone… Isabella Marie Swan, would you make me the happiest man in the world and be the mother to my future children, the person I come home to at night, my best friend, my partner, and most importantly, my wife? Isabella will you marry me?"

She choked out a weak yes, as I stood to wipe the tears from her cheeks before kissing her softly.

"Bella, you need to eat," I said as I placed the plate of sandwiches on her lap. "Would you like some Champagne love?"

Shaking her head she said, "I would love some... but I can't drink."

"You can't…why?"

She shook her head but didn't continue became suddenly fascinated with her finger nails.

"Bella, is something wrong, why can't you drink?" I inquired.

She removed the plate from her lap and uneasily said.

"Um… Edward I think you should sit down first."

Taking her hands in mine I asked, "Bella what is it, is something wrong? You can tell me anything, you know that."

"Edward nothing is wrong with me."

"Then why can't you drink the champagne?" I asked again.

Taking a deep breath she said four words that caused my heart to stop.

"Edward, I am pregnant."

"I—" I froze, my mouth open. I didn't know what to say. That meant that when Tanya attacked her she was pregnant. As the thought crossed my mind I nearly growled, barely able to form complete words. "Uh..."

"Edward…please say something…"

"Uh…um…okay, I'm just…shocked. Uh, how pregnant…I mean, how far are you?"

"Two months. Are you…angry with me?" she asked hesitantly.

"What? No love, of course not. You just made me the happiest man in the world."

_I am going to be a dad. _

I pulled her to me, kissing her from the hollow of her neck upward; dragging my lips across her jaw. When I reached her mouth, I lingered; taking my time. God I missed her. She deepened the kiss and my every nerve ending came to life—her every curve a journey to explore/travel. My hands stopped at her stomach and I couldn't help smile.

_That's __our child in there. _

Pulling her dress over her head, I kissed along her stomach.

Sitting back on my heels, I took in the goddess that was lying on the bed naked and ready for me. Her body—every curve of her breasts and hips—had filled out. She was perfect. And this gorgeouscreature was going to be my wife and the mother of my child. I continued to kiss her. She opened her mouth to me, and I eagerly slipped my tongue inside, deepening the kiss. I was in heaven_._ No one fought for dominance, we simply showed our passion and love for each other, by taking things slowly. We had all the time in the world.

While worshiping her body, I parted her legs and positioned myself between them and pushed into her slowly.

_I'm home._

She gasped when I was fully in her. Resisting the urge to thrust, I tried to hold still as I asked if she was okay.

**BPOV**

I was speechless thinking about everything that had just happened. I could not believe that this was real, so when he entered me, for some reason, that was when it hit me.

_This is real._

I gasped, which did not go unnoticed. When he asked if I was okay the only thing I could do was nod and wiggle my body to show him that I was more than okay in hopes that he would start to move.

I moaned, groaned and cursed, worse than a sailor as he thrust into me, hitting my sweet spot over and over. The combination of the three sent me over the edge.

_It has been too long. _

He met my every moan/groan with his own, and took my sensitive nipple into his mouth as he rubbed my bundle of nerves.

When I came my nails dug into his shoulder, while I arched back screaming his hamehild. I kissed ya because she ldown, he sat back, lifted my ass, and thrust into me even harder than before.

When my orgasm was finished he changed to a new position sitting back on his knees. Lifting me by my ass, he thrust into me even deeper than before. The new position was sensational. With this position, he penetrated deeper still, and my orgasm began to build all over again. "Oh…my…God." Ecstasy hit once more, and my nails dug into his shoulder while I arched back screaming his name.

After one, two, three more thrusts he groaned, tossing his head back in bliss. The muscles in his neck clenched as he shouted my, spilling his seed into me.

He pulled out of me with a moan and rolled us over, tucking me into his side my head rested on his chest while softly stroked my hair.

Lifting my head I looked into his eyes, "Edward, tell me about your mom and dad."


	13. Chapter 13

Sorry for the late update, school, work and life have me very busy.

Special thanks to my beta and pre-reader, W and Jaime.

EPOV

She would have asked sooner or later and I knew I should tell her everything, but I couldn't. Even if I did tell her, I wasn't sure if she would believe me.

I took a deep breath and asked, "What exactly do you want to know?"

"Everything."

After a long pause I started, "Well...I told you about my life at the orphanage?" She nodded for me to continue.

"My mom, Liz, was very beautiful, they say I look a lot like her. From what I could remember, she was so full of life and always there when I needed her. I didn't even have to ask. She loved to cook and she even followed her dream and opened her own restaurant"  
"What happen to the restaurant?" she asked.  
"It was sold when they died." I lied.

"My dad, Edward, was always busy but he would always make time for me. The biggest thing that I can remember about him was that he would always play with me every weekend and find time to read to me even though he was very busy. "He and Mom had this running joke," I said, chuckling/smiling at the memory. "One of his co-workers thought I was a girl and called me pretty. I was probably two years old at the time but he never let me live it down. My mom got mad if he even mentioned it, but he would just laugh at her and say,. ''

'_He's my son and if I want to call him pretty I will'."_

I still couldn't believe that my mom and dad were really gone-over money. Blood money. My parents died trying to protect me from whomever wanted it-the very same billions that Emmett and Jasper were currently fighting over.

She sensed that I was lying but not wanting to probe on the subject of my parents, she moved on to another topic.

"What about ex girlfriends?"  
"My ex-girlfriend's name was Kate," I said sadly. Leave it to Bella to ask about ex-girlfriends right after we had sex.  
"Was?"  
"Yes love, 'was.' She died. She was murdered by a burglary gone wrong while we were in college... Any other questions?" I asked, kissing her temple. It took me a while to get over Kate's death but now I could speak about her with anyone.  
"Just one more—it'sabout the night your parents were murdered," she finished softly.

Thinking about that night brought back every memory in vivid detail, and it was just too much.

"I-I c-can't talk about that night love. Not tonight, but I promise you I will tell you more about my family in time…just give me some more time, please?" I begged.

She wiped away the tear from my cheek and said, "Okay, I can wait."

We talked throughout the night about our dreams and baby names. I thought about Charlize Liz-Beth for a girl and she loved it, but we just couldn't agree on any boys' names. She kept insisting that we could call him Edward III, which I totally disagreed on—I wanted my son to have his own name. I didn't have a problem being named after my father but my son deserved to get his own, Edward was over used.

I left her at the suite relaxing and chatting up a storm with Angela and Ben. I had to go into the office to finish up some work and deal with the Tanya and Rose situation. I walked into the office smiling like a clown at a child's birthday party and why wouldn't I be. I had a beautiful fiancée whom is pregnant with my child.

Right about now, I was on top of the world, but inside I had this unshakable feeling that something very bad was about to happen. The thought sent chills down my spine and my mind immediately went to four people—Emmett, Jasper, Tanya, and Jacob. Jacob had never done anything to me, but there was just something about him that I did not trust.

I entered the office and spotted Alice leaning by the window, deep in thought and looking very sad. Without hesitating, I walked over and wrapped my arms around her. She was my cousin and I loved her very much.  
_I wondered if she knew that we were related. If not, should I tell her? _  
Somehow I felt that she knew, but was waiting for me to make the first step. Could I make that first step? Not now, I needed to her to keep her safe_. _I kissed her temple and pulled her into me.

"Why don't you go and talk to Jasper, Alice?" I asked.  
"I am tired of trying. He tried to apologise but I just don't know if I should trust him."  
"I understand that, but I think maybe he deserves another chance. You guys deserve another chance. Don't you think?"

"I don't know. I just don't know what to do Anthony." Yep, Alice figured out who I am. She was the only person that could call me by my middle name and get away with it. Other people tried but I would just tell them my name was Edward—even at six I was stubborn.

I stayed calm and played the role. "Who's Anthony?" I asked.  
She looked me in the eyes, shook her head, and simply mumbled, "No one."  
Changing the topic she asked, "How did things go with Bella?"

"Perfect Alice, I asked her to marry me," I replied.  
"What! That's excellent Edward, congratulations. Don't forget to send me an invitation."  
"I couldn't leave out my favorite cousin," I said softly enough that she wouldn't hear.  
"Did you say something?" she asked.  
"No, no," I quickly replied.

Alice was here to help me conduct the meeting with Tanya and Rosalie. It seemed that Tanya attacked Bella because she'd heard that she was pregnant and Rose jumped in to stop Tanya from choking Bella. Lauren and Jessica both confirmed Rosalie's story.

I excused myself from the room and called Carlisle to inform him of what transpired between Tanya, Rosalie, and Bella, leaving out the little detail of Bella being pregnant. As always, Carlisle gave me permission to deal with Tanya how I saw fit.

"Okay ladies, this is how we are going to do things—Rosalie, you are on probation for a month. Tanya I've made arrangements for you to leave Trinidad. Your flight leaves at 5:30 pm, on BW424 via Caribbean Airlines. You have exactly three hours to pack and say goodbye to your friends.

Tanya on the other hand said nothing, she did not even show any remorse for all the trouble she caused. Alice, Leah, and Sam escorted Tanya to her suite and lent a hand with the packing. Jasper and Seth were given the duty to drop Tanya at the airport, and to make sure that she got on the flight.

I called another meeting with the remaining members of the team informing them that fighting would not be tolerated. As expected, Emmett was not present at the meeting and my patience was running very thin with him. The other team members were informed of Bella's pregnancy, which did not come as a surprise to them. Lauren and Jessica had already done us a favor and spread the news, or gossip rather.

Everyone congratulated us. Ben and Angela were so excited that, Ben volunteered to go on food runs whenever Bella was craving. I was more shocked when Jasper and Jacob hugged Bella and shook my hand to congratulate me.

All in all, today was a good day.

Tanya was gone and Emmett was the last person that I needed to remove. With one trouble maker gone, I felt like we accomplished something for the team.

Bella, Alice, Rose, Angela, Ben, and I went to the suite that I had reserved for Bella and myself, to celebrate. We laughed and talked until the wee hours of the morning, after which I gave Bella a massage and we christened the Jacuzzi.

I lay in bed and watched Bella sleep; life had finally started to look up. But for some reason I had this deep-seated feeling something horrible was going to happen.


	14. Chapter 14

_April -May _

**BPOV**

The month of April was pretty quiet. The team knew that I was pregnant with Edward's child. In addition, both Jessica and Lauren spread the news to the team faster and clearer than the best telephone company. The only people we still needed to tell were my family and Carlisle and Esme, who Edward and I decided we wanted to do face to face.

Everyone assumed that Edward had forgotten their performance appraisals because they were not completed at the originally planned time in March. It wasn't done because we were all swamped with work and meetings and neither Edward nor I could make the time to have a two on one interview. So, it was decided that he would start the process at the end of April, and who better to start with than…the three Musketeers.

No stone was left unturned as he reviewed Tanya, Jasper, and Emmett's performances. Even though Tanya was sent home, an appraisal still had to be completed by Alice and Edward, while Edward and I completed everyone else's.

Needless to say no surprise, Tanya's inexcusable actions dug her own grave. Alice informed me that Tanya had a meeting with Carlisle and Esme when she returned to Forks and was dismissed from the company permanently. Apparently, she left the meeting in tears.

Emmett got an appraisal of twenty percent. I tried to talk to Emmett to let him know that we were worried about him. He was continually coming to work late and half drunk, smelling of alcohol which was a safety risk to himself and everyone else on the site. That was when everything went downhill—he ended up in a shouting match with Edward. Edward was frustrated and had reached his end with Emmett, wanting to punch him several times during the heated exchange. He made numerous attempts to advance on Emmett, though I was able to calm him down by placing my hands on his shoulders and rubbing gently.

In the end, he dismissed Emmett, informing him that Carlisle and Esme would be made aware of what had happened that day—specifically that his behavior had a lasting and detrimental affect on the team.

Then there was Jasper, who surprisingly got seventy-five percent, even though he was involved in the schemes with Emmett. He made sure to complete his work. _Smart cookie. One would think he would have been smart enough to stay out of Emmett's schemes. _

Leah, Alice, Ben, Tyler, Mike, and Jacob all got percentages of ninety for their exceptional work. They were always willing to help the team.

Rosalie, Sam, Seth, Eric, Jessica, and Lauren all got eighty-five percent, whereas I got eighty percent. Alice and Edward did my appraisal and I understood why they gave me such a low percentage—my jealousy towards Alice had caused my standard of work to drop. They were right, although Edward and I were together, a disagreement should not have stopped us from completing the job—we were both professionals and needed to act as such.

During our break up, Edward drowned himself in more work while I did only what was asked of me, and left. I even switched teams. Not a good quality for someone who wants to become a manager. Edward was assessed by his peers and he received a total of ninety-seven percent from everyone, excluding Emmett—even Jasper started to see the light. I thought Jacob would have given him a low grading because of the bar incident, but in the appraisal from Jacob, he thanked him for watching both his and Alice's backs.

Bitch, it seems that he could do no wrong.

Hormones talking.

When Jacob said that he admired Edward in front of the team, Edward and everyone else were left speechless.

"So Jacob, why did you come to Masen, instead of taking over your father's company?" Alice questioned with a raised eyebrow. She associated with Edward so much that she started to act like him. They acted like they were family.

_Nope, I am not jealous, I learned my lesson before. I understand their relationship now. _

"Well Alice, it's pretty simple; My father's a dick! Sorry to say it, but it's the truth. His work ethics are unscrupulous and I wanted to learn about project management the right way."

Edward soon joined the interesting conversation. "When you say unscrupulous what do you mean?" he inquired.

"Edward, the world knows my father is crooked, they just don't know how to prove it. Hell, I don't even know how to prove it. He bribes, blackmails, and I even believe that he would kill to get a contract."

"Oh!" was the only word that came out of Rosalie, Ben, and Angela's mouth.

"So how's that working out for him?" I asked. This conversation was getting pretty interesting. Masens and Blacks had been rivals for years. Masens chose the ethical way of doing their business, while Blacks, well, obviously didn't.

"Not good, I think that soon he will be filing for bankruptcy. Most companies in America and Europe don't want to do business with him or Blacks's Projects. When any contractors in Europe or America have a project they go straight to Masens, because they trust them to get the job done on time, within the budget, and have no legal or safety problems. Hell, the staff is even treated better at Masens than at Blacks. I tried to talk to my father about changing his tactics but he just laughed me off and said get on or get out. So I chose to get out."

"I guess he wasn't happy with that decision?" Angela asked.

"Nope, he called me a traitor and some other not so nice words. But I've learned more under Edward and at Masens than I've learned in my three years at Blacks. Esme took a chance on me saying that her sister and brother-in-law would have never turned me away and I am grateful for the opportunity." Laughing he added, "You know my dad really wanted this contract. He said it would have helped him financially, but then Masens got it. He cut all ties with me, even removed me from his will."

"_Damn_, your dad's brutal." Ben and Jasper said at the same time, causing everyone to laugh.

Eventually the subject changed and everyone began talking amongst themselves. We were all enjoying ourselves for once, well besides Emmett he left after his appraisals. Edward gave the contractors and the team the rest of the day off, but we all stayed in the office, ordered food, ate and drank. At the end of the day, everyone knew each other a little better than before and the team was finally starting to look and move as a team.

I was walking to the site with a smile on my face, nothing could get me down today, or for the past month actually. I was happy and in love. I had the man of my dreams, who had asked me to marry him, and I was pregnant with my first child—his child. Normally I walked with Angela but she wanted to stay behind at the hotel, saying that she had something to finish up before coming over to join me.

At the site, I held a meeting with one of the contractors on top of the building to sort out any problems. Edward went to get some bake and shark from around the savannah that I was craving, so he would be back any minute. The meeting lasted for about an hour and I remained on the roof looking down at the site. Suddenly, I heard someone shouting my name, when I spun around it was Angela.

**Emmett POV**  
Here I am in the bar alone, I skipped work again. I had no friends, no family.

Edward had taken everything and everyone away from me. Rosalie wouldn't speak to me, Alice wouldn't speak to me, Mom and Dad said that they were disappointed in me and that I wasn't acting like the son they knew. Jasper refused to speak to me since Alice asked for a divorce. He had been trying his best to show her that he was trying to change.

Change? Ha! I would change after I got the money.

_Fifty billion dollars! I wouldn't give it up for nothing, not even Rosalie._

I needed to get even with Edward, but how?

I tried Tanya, but the stupid slut couldn't even do one thing right, before they kicked her ass back to Forks and out of MPS.

Edward seemed to have it all, while I was losing everything. My friends were now in his corner and he had a pretty little girlfriend who I heard from Jacob was pregnant.

_Wait…Bella. That's it!_

In order to hurt Edward, I needed to hurt Bella.

A devious grin spread across my face as I picked up my phone and dialed the one person I knew who could accomplish just that.

_I am going to kill Bella Swan._

**Mystery POV**

I couldn't believe he got her pregnant. I had been sitting on the information for the past month now, unsure of how to tell my boss. They wanted me to kill Bella, but I couldn't kill a pregnant lady. This led me to drinking myself into oblivion by the bar.

I really didn't have a choice in whether she lived or died, because if she lived, that meant that Masens' empire would have another heir to claim the money. Something my boss didn't want.

I needed to call my boss and inform him of the new development. It seemed as if this Masen kid had an angel watching him and that angel was now going to get Bella and his unborn child killed.  
"Billy, we have a problem."  
"_I told you not to call me by my name, boy."_  
"Sorry sir, won't happen again."  
"_What seems to be the problem, boy?"_  
"Bella Swan is pregnant with Masen's heir."  
"_What?"_  
"Should I kill her still sir?"  
"_Masens' empire must not have an heir. We agreed before to kill Bella. What makes you think that this new information would change that? If anything, it just reinforces it," _he said and hung up the phone.  
"I am going to kill Bella Swan," I muttered to myself. Maybe if I said it more I might actually be able to do it.  
I was about to sit down to plot Bella's murder when someone slapped me across my face.  
_What the fuck!_

**Angela POV**  
I walked over to the boy's suite looking for Ben, even though I figured that he was already at work, it wouldn't hurt to check.  
Before I reached the suite, I heard a voice on the stairs, "Billy, we have a problem."  
_Who the hell is Billy?_  
"Sorry S_ir,_ won't happen again."  
"Bella Swan is pregnant with Masen's heir."  
_I wonder if he's talking to Carlisle, but he said Billy before. And Bella is pregnant by Edward... Who the hell is Masen's Heir._  
"Should I still kill her?"  
_What? Kill Bella! This has to be some joke, right? I need to warn her and let Edward know._

I was blinded by rage when I realised who the person was. I walked up to him slapped him across the face and started my angry outburst.

"I can't believe you. We all trusted you and this is what you're doing to us? How could you?" I said raising my hand to slap him again.

He grabbed it and started to shout in my face, "Listen little girl, I should teach you to show respect."

_He smells like alcohol. _

_What did I get myself into_?

_I needed to warn Bella and the others, but first I need to get out of here_.

I turned my head to the left and saw the elevator doors opened. I brought one of my knees up and hit him as hard as possible in the balls. I quickly made a dash towards the elevators and just in time, because the doors closed before he could make it inside. My heart was beating twice its normal speed, I took giant gulps of air in an attempt to control my breathing, but nothing was working.

_Shit, I may die. _

_I'm going to die._

I impatiently waited for the elevator to reach the ground floor, constantly pressing the big 'G' button, hoping it would make it move faster. The elevator doors opened and I made a run towards the direction of the site. I ran my heart out, tore through the streets like a criminal running from the police. But this time it wasn't the Police but an assassin behind me shouting for at me to stop.

_I can't believe we all trusted him. Bella will never believe me. I trusted him, Bella trusted him, Alice trusted him, and Rosalie trusted him. Hell, everyone trusted this…this… criminal_

I ran onto the site and spotted some of the contractors just before the building and asked them for Bella. Most of them said that they had just finished a meeting with her on top of the building, so she should still be there. Before the contractor could say anything else, I made a run for the service elevator that would take me to the rooftop. But, before I could reach the elevator, two strong hands grabbed me and started to shake me.

"_Where is Bella?_" he asked, reeking of alcohol. For the second time today, I lifted my leg and kneed him in the balls, before dashing for the elevator with two people on my heels looking for Bella. The service doors closed and I counted the seconds that seemed like hours before it would open and hoped that I would find Bella on the roof.  
_  
_The doors opened and there she was standing on the edge of the roof with a smile on her face.  
"BELLA!" I shouted to get her attention.  
She turned around smiling, but when she took in the expression on my face her smile immediately turned to a frown.  
"Angela, what happened to you?" she asked, concern written all over her face  
_  
_"Bella someone is..." But I never got to finish as I felt a strong hand on my arm, and suddenly both Bella and I were falling, surely to our deaths.

_God I should have stayed in Forks. _

We both screamed each other names at the same time as we went over the ledge. The fall couldn't have lasted more than a second, but time moved in impossibly slow motion as I looked up to see a face that I never could have guessed.

He was the last thing I saw before the blackness took over.

**Emmett POV **  
I took the stairs and followed Angela to the top of the roof, not exactly sure what I would do with them when I reached them. Everything was blurry after that, I remembered reaching the roof and Angela and Bella going over.

_Shit, Bella saw me. What do I do?_

I quickly made my way back downstairs to join the group in the rush to save the fallen girls.

**Mystery POV**  
I took the stairs and followed Angela to the top of the roof, not exactly sure what I would do with them when I reached. Everything was blurry after that, I remembered reaching the roof and Angela and Bella going over.

_Shit, Bella saw me. What do I do?_  
I quickly made my way back downstairs to join the group in the rush to save the fallen girls.


End file.
